er's face; Mr. Huntingdon's was inscrutable as usual, only a gray
tint seemed to spread over his features, and there was a slight
trembling in the hand that held Erle's arm.

Fluff looked from one to the other, and then she touched Erle
coaxingly.

"Do ask grandpapa to be kind to me, Mr. Erle," she pleaded. "Percy is
always cross, but you have been so good to me and Fern." But a stern
voice interrupted her.

"Do you know this child, Erle? she seems to recognize you."

"Yes, sir," stammered Erle, losing color now as fast as he had gained
it; his embarrassment was not lessened by the look on Percy's face. "I
have seen her when I have been with Percy. She is Florence Trafford,
Mrs. Trafford's youngest child, and I expect what she says is quite
true, and that she has come of her own accord, though I have no idea
how she found her way here."

"How should you, Mr. Erle," returned Fluff, nestling up to her
favorite, "when I never told you a word about it, or any of them
either? Why, bless me, the stupidest of all those stupid owls in the
Zooelogical Gardens, that we laughed at so much, knew more about it
than you did. Oh, you need not frown, Percy, you do not come half so
often to see poor mother as Mr. Erle does, and he is far kinder to
Fern."

"I think you had better hold you tongue, Fluff," replied her brother;
but he evidently enjoyed the sight of Erle's discomfiture. "I don't
see why you are to be troubled with this sort of scene," he continued,
addressing Mr. Huntingdon, who was eying Fluff gloomily all this time.
"If you wish it I will ring for Roger to take her home."

"No, no, let her be for a moment," he replied, quickly; and Fluff, who
had looked terrified at Percy's proposition, came closer and rubbed
her curls delightedly against his coat-sleeve.

"That's right, grandpapa. I have not spoken to you yet, have I? and I
have so much to say. I was that little baby you know whom mother
carried through the snow that night. Yes," as Mr. Huntingdon
shuddered, "I heard mother tell Fern all about it one night when they
thought I was asleep--only I got sleepy and lost half; but I said to
myself, 'I shall go and tell grandpapa that poor mother is very
miserable and unhappy, and that he must come and take care of her.'"

"There, there, you have said your lesson very prettily," observed Mr.
Huntingdon with a sneer. "Children are apt parrots;" but Erle saw that
his sneer was forced, and that he sat down like an old man