xpense of the Duke of Wellington?"

_Schillie._--"Yes. I misdoubt me that I shall find her in sad disgrace.
She will have endeavoured to soothe her wounded feelings by putting
spiders on Sybil, changing Serena's book, mislaying Madame's alderman,
which is neither more nor less than the name Gatty has given that great
fat pencil with which Madame marks their books, and rat-ta-ta-tals them
up when they are looking dull and stupid."

_Mother._--"Don't come without her, however, for she is the strongest.
It's a pity Sybil is so good as never to be in disgrace, for her little
delicate fingers are of no use in such a case."

_Schillie._--"Indeed Sybil and Serena are too stupid for anything. They
learn all their books, they like all their lessons, they agree to all
Madame's crinkums crankums, and they are so horridly good, it quite puts
me out."

_Mother._--"Pooh, nonsense. If we had three Gattys here we should find
the island too hot to hold us. Be content at having two of the best
girls in the world to deal with."

_Schillie._--"I must say Serena is a tip-top girl, she makes Miss Gatty
look about her; but I must be off."

During her absence, I sat down upon an old stump of a tree, and by and
by I heard a little rustling in the bushes, out of which came a sort of
animal like a large rat, but it had a flat tail, and each side of this
tail was adorned with hair like fringe. It looked at me steadily, and,
except its tail, was not an ugly creature. I did not choose to be
frightened; but still as another and another came, and all stood
steadily gazing at me, I had a sort of qualm that some rats fly at one's
throat, and, though not really injured, I might perhaps get severely
bitten if they attacked me. I was therefore glad to hear the merry
voices in the distance coming nearer and nearer; and, as the rats heard
the unusual sounds, they slunk away as if by magic, for I could hardly
perceive the movement by which they disappeared.

_Schillie_ (quite breathless).--"Well, here you are quite safe. I am
always so afraid when I leave you that you get into some mischief. But
you have seen something, I know by your face."

_Mother._--"Then don't look as if I was injured. I have only seen some
odd-looking sorts of rats with flat tails."

_Schillie._--"Then Otty must come with his gun and shoot them, for I
dare say now that snake is dead the animals of all kinds will increase
very much. I only wish there was a snake among the gnat