ed birds, which instantly flew away, "that little sparrow and
this one are making quite different noises. What are they saying? I
do want to know so much!"

As I imagined the birds in question had just been having supper, I told
her what I thought they were probably saying. Next day, in the sermon,
there was something about the praise all creation offers to God, and I
saw Tangles knotting her hands together and going into the queerest
contortions in appreciation of the one bit of the sermon she could
understand.

The Imp's questions were various. "What is that?"--pointing to a
busy-bee clock--"is it an English kind of insect? Don't its legs get
tired going round? Oh! is it dead now?" (when it stopped). "Who made
Satan?" was an early one. "Why doesn't God kill him immediately, and
stamp on him?" One day I was trying to find and touch her heart by
telling her how very sorry Jesus is when we are naughty. She seemed
subdued, then--"Amma, where was the Queen's spirit after she died and
before they buried her, _and what did they give it to eat_?"

"Did you see Lot's wife?" was a question which tickled the Bishop when,
on his last visitation, he gave himself up to an hour's catechising upon
his tour in the Holy Land. They were disappointed that he had to confess
he had not. "Oh, I suppose the salt has melted," was the Elf's comment
upon this.

Tangles is distinctly inclined to peace. The Elf, I grieve to say, is
not. Yesterday she announced a quarrel: "I feel cross!" Tangles objected
to quarrel. "I do feel cross!" and the Elf apparently showed
corroborative symptoms. Then Tangles looked at her straight: "I'm not
going to quarrel. The devil has arrived in the middle of the afternoon
to interrupt our unity, and I won't let him!" which so touched the Elf
that she embraced her on the spot; and then, in detailing it all in her
prayer in the evening, this incorrigible little sinner added, with real
emotion, "Lord, I am not good. I spoiled unity with L." (the Imp), "and
Thou didst feel obliged to remove her to a boarding-school. Now do help
me not to spoil unity with P." (who is Tangles), "lest Thou shouldst
feel obliged to remove her also to a boarding-school,"--a view of the
Imp's promotion which had not struck me before.

Tangles and she belong to the same Caste, and Tangles has the character
of that Caste as fully developed as the Elf, and can hold her own
effectually. Also she is a little older and taller, and being the Elf