the places they would visit each
morning while they remained there. The afternoons were supposed to be
reserved for rest, but the girls were so eager to supply Tato with a
fitting wardrobe that they at once began to devote the afternoons to
shopping and dress-making.

The child had placed in Uncle John's keeping a liberally supplied purse,
which the Duke wished to be applied to the purchase of whatever his
daughter might need or desire.

"He wants me to dress as you do," said Tato, simply; "and because you
will know what is fitting my station and will be required in my future
life, he has burdened you with my society. It was selfish in my father,
was it not? But but--I wanted so much to be with you--because you are
good to me!"

"And we're mighty glad to have you with us," answered Patsy. "It's no
end of fun getting a girl a whole new outfit, from top to toe; and,
aside from that, we already love you as if you were our little sister."

Beth and Louise equally endorsed this statement; and indeed the child
was so sweet and pretty and so grateful for the least kindness bestowed
upon her that it was a pleasure to assist and counsel her.

Tato looked even smaller in girls' clothing than in boys', and she
improved so rapidly in her manners by constantly watching the nieces
that it was hard to imagine she had until now been all unused to polite
society. Already they began to dread the day when her father would come
to claim her, and the girls and Uncle John had conceived a clever plan
to induce the Duke to let his daughter travel with them on the continent
and then go for a brief visit to them in America.

"By that time," declared Louise, "Tato's education will be
accomplished, and she will be as refined and ladylike as any girl of her
age we know. Blood will tell, they say, and the monk who taught her must
have been an intelligent and careful man."

"She knows more of history and languages than all the rest of us put
together," added Beth.

"And, having adopted her, we mustn't do the thing by halves," concluded
Patsy; "so our darling little brigandess must tease her papa to let her
stay with us as long as possible."

Tato smiled and blushed with pleasure. It was very delightful to know
she had such enthusiastic friends. But she was afraid the Duke would not
like to spare her for so long a time as a visit to America would
require.

"You leave him to me," said Uncle John. "I'll argue the case clearly and
logically,