og, and I quite exonerate him. But as to the rest
of you, I can only say that I wish to see your father on the subject."

"Oh! Aunt Maria! you are not going to trouble father, so ill as he is,
about that poor, miserable little dog?"

"Thank you, Helen! thank you! poor miserable little dog indeed. Ah! my
dear, you have let the cat out of the bag now. Yes, my dear, I insist on
seeing your father with regard to the _poor, miserable little dog_.
Poor, indeed, am I without him, my little treasure, my little faithful
Scorpion." Here Mrs. Cameron applied her handkerchief to her eyes, and
Helen walked to the window, feeling almost driven to despair.

"I think you are doing wrong!" she said, presently. "It is wrong to
disturb a man like father about any dog, however noble. I am sure I am
right in saying that we, none of us, know anything about Scorpion's
disappearance. However, if you like, and rather than that father should
be worried, I will send for all the children, and ask them the question
one by one before you. I am absolutely sure that they won't think
Scorpion worth a lie."

CHAPTER XVI.

FIREFLY.

Helen experienced some little difficulty in getting her scattered
brothers and sisters together. She could not get any of them to think
seriously of Scorpion's departure. They laughed and lingered over their
own pursuits, and told Helen to her face that she made a great fuss
about nothing; in short, the best part of an hour had gone by before the
Maybrights and the two Dalrymples assembled in Mrs. Cameron's presence
in the morning room.

"It is just this, children," said Helen. "Aunt Maria feels very low
about Scorpion; you see she loved him." Groans here came audibly from
the lips of Bob and Bunny. "Yes!" said Helen, looking severely at her
two little brothers, "Aunt Maria did love Scorpion. She feels very
lonely without him, and she has taken an idea into her head that one or
other of you had something to say to his disappearance. Of course I know
that none of you could be so cruel and heartless, but to satisfy Aunt
Maria, I have asked you all to come here just to tell her that you did
nothing to make Scorpion run away."

"Only we are very glad he did run away!" said Bob, "but as to touching
him, why, I wouldn't with a pair of tongs."

"I wish to say a word!" said Mrs. Cameron. She came forward, and stood
looking very flushed and angry before the assembled group. "I wish to
say that I am sure some of you