t is not your place to look at the young ladies," said Miss Minchin.
"You forget yourself. Put your box down."

Becky obeyed with alarmed haste and hastily backed toward the door.

"You may leave us," Miss Minchin announced to the servants with a wave
of her hand.

Becky stepped aside respectfully to allow the superior servants to pass
out first. She could not help casting a longing glance at the box on
the table. Something made of blue satin was peeping from between the
folds of tissue paper.

"If you please, Miss Minchin," said Sara, suddenly, "mayn't Becky stay?"

It was a bold thing to do. Miss Minchin was betrayed into something
like a slight jump. Then she put her eyeglass up, and gazed at her
show pupil disturbedly.

"Becky!" she exclaimed. "My dearest Sara!"

Sara advanced a step toward her.

"I want her because I know she will like to see the presents," she
explained. "She is a little girl, too, you know."

Miss Minchin was scandalized. She glanced from one figure to the other.

"My dear Sara," she said, "Becky is the scullery maid. Scullery
maids--er--are not little girls."

It really had not occurred to her to think of them in that light.
Scullery maids were machines who carried coal scuttles and made fires.

"But Becky is," said Sara. "And I know she would enjoy herself.
Please let her stay--because it is my birthday."

Miss Minchin replied with much dignity:

"As you ask it as a birthday favor--she may stay. Rebecca, thank Miss
Sara for her great kindness."

Becky had been backing into the corner, twisting the hem of her apron
in delighted suspense. She came forward, bobbing curtsies, but between
Sara's eyes and her own there passed a gleam of friendly understanding,
while her words tumbled over each other.

"Oh, if you please, miss! I'm that grateful, miss! I did want to see
the doll, miss, that I did. Thank you, miss. And thank you,
ma'am,"--turning and making an alarmed bob to Miss Minchin--"for
letting me take the liberty."

Miss Minchin waved her hand again--this time it was in the direction of
the corner near the door.

"Go and stand there," she commanded. "Not too near the young ladies."

Becky went to her place, grinning. She did not care where she was
sent, so that she might have the luck of being inside the room, instead
of being downstairs in the scullery, while these delights were going
on. She did not even mind when Miss Minchin cleared her throat
omino