of it," said
Pride.

But Dick did think something of the stain. He saw that it marred the
beauty of that upon which he had bestowed much diligent labour.

"I'll cross over to Nelly's cottage," he said, "and see if the damp is
staining hers also."

Nelly was busy fixing in her grate. She looked upon her brother with a
smile.

"How kind to come and see me through the rain!"

"I did not come to see you, but your paper. How is this?--there is not a
damp spot upon it!"

"Nor on Lubin's neither," remarked Nelly. "But I was with Matty just
now, and the damp shows sadly on her fairies."

"What on earth can make the difference?" cried Dick.

"I do not know, unless--unless--" Nelly hesitated before she
added--"unless it be that both Matty and you used the paste that Pride
recommended."

"That has nothing to do with it," said Dick, as he quitted the cottage
in displeasure.

But Nelly had been right in her guess. There will be an ugly stain upon
any work which we only pursue with zeal because we want to _outdo_
others in it.

Dick did not make his appearance on the following morning at the
breakfast-table. The children still took their meals at the house
Needful till their cottages should be better prepared.

"I am so glad that it has stopped raining," said Nelly, when she had
finished her breakfast. "I have been wishing for the weather to clear,
for I promised Mr. Arithmetic that I would go back for the grate of
Division. Matty, dear, you will come with us to-day?"

Matty had come down to breakfast in a dress almost as ridiculously fine
as that worn by Miss Folly herself. She tossed her head, and replied,--

"I've something better to do than to buy, or carry, or scrub wretched
sum-grates of Arithmetic. I'm going out with Miss Folly, to be
introduced to some of her friends."

"But, Matty, the grates are quite necessary," urged Nelly. "We are soon
to take up our quarters in our cottages, and sleep there as well as
work. What shall we do when the cold weather comes if we've no means of
having a fire?"

"How shall we cook our dinners?" asked Lubin. "If there's one thing more
useful in a house than anything else, I should say it is a grate in the
kitchen."

"Oh, Miss Folly tells me never to look forward to winter," cried Matty,
"but just enjoy myself while I can. So I am not going to plague myself
with either Addition or Division to-day. To look after such vulgar
things is only a shopkeeper's business."

"But