n. It held an old-fashioned
work-bag made of melon seeds strung on wire, and lined with green. Mell
admired this exceedingly, and pinned it to her waist. Then she found a
fan of white feathers with pink sticks. This was most charming of all.
Mell fanned herself a long time. She could not bear to put it away.
Princesses, she thought, must use fans like that. On the paper which
wrapped the fan was something written in pencil. Mell spelled it out.
"For my little Melicent" was what the writing said.

Was the fan really hers? Perhaps the parasol was hers too, the coral
beads, the muff and tippet! All sorts of delightful possibilities
whirled through her brain, as she tossed and tumbled the parcels in the
chest out on to the floor. More bundles of pieces, some
knitting-needles, an old-fashioned pair of bellows (Mell did not know
what these were), a book or two, a package of snuff, which flew up into
her face and made her sneeze. Then an overcoat and some men's clothes
folded smoothly. Mell did not care for the overcoat, but there were two
dresses pinned in towels which delighted her. One was purple muslin, the
other faded blue silk; and again she found her own name pinned on the
towel,--"For my little Mell." A faint pleasant odor came from the folds
of the blue silk dress. Mell searched the pocket, and found there a
Tonquin bean, screwed up in a bit of paper. It was the Tonquin bean
which had made the dress smell so pleasantly. Mell pressed the folds
close to her nose. She was fond of perfumes, and this seemed to her the
most delicious thing she ever smelt.

Suddenly the clock downstairs struck something very long, and Mell,
waking up as it were, recollected that it was a good while since she had
heard any sounds from the children in the yard. She jumped up and ran
to the window. No children were there.

"Children, children, where are you?" she called; but nobody answered.

"Tiresome little things," thought Mell. "They've gone round to the pump
again. I must hurry, or they will be all sopping wet." She seized the
parasol, which she could not bear to part with, and, leaving the other
things on the floor, ran downstairs. The red shawl, which had been lying
in her lap, trailed after her as far as the kitchen, and then fell, but
Mell did not notice it.

"What!" she cried, looking at the clock, "noon already! Why, where has
the morning gone to?"

Where had the children gone to? was another question. Back yard, side
yard, fr