fish, that he might lazily read himself. I am quite done up
with dullness" (heaving a sort of groan).

_Mother._--"Indeed, I think you are badly used, especially since Madame
has found out you really can be a good girl if you like."

_Gatty._--"I could be as mischievous as ever, only nobody cares for it
or scolds me."

_Schillie._--"Mischievous! I should think so, you sphinx of plagues, I
declare I am dripping, and you know I have a horror of being over damp."

_Gatty._--"It is quite clean water, little Mother, and it is but a
little stream, and has not been running long to you."

_Schillie._--"But you know if it had not been for your great clumsy
fingers making a channel, that stream would never have come to where I
am sitting; and you did it on purpose you know, so that it should just
dribble to my seat and not June's."

_Gatty._--"Yes, I know I did, little Mother, because you know I would
never have done so to her."

_Schillie._--"Did any one ever hear such impudence. Now, I insist on it
that you go back, and bring me some dry things. But it's no use, I must
go myself. I am wet through and through. Well, you shall never catch me
complaining again of Miss Gatty being stupidly good; and she knows so
well I hate anything like damp."

_Gatty_ (with her demure face).--"Yes, little Mother, I know that so
well, that I sent sufficient water to wet you thoroughly instead of
damping you."

Schillie went off muttering horrible imprecations.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

We employed the next rainy season in making the passage through the
cavern wider and better, so that we could run up and down without
torches or fears. The rainy season had commenced with what Felix called
a very savage storm, and it seemed likely to end with one equally
fierce. The thunder pealed so loud that many large pieces of rock were
shaken down in the cavern by the concussion, and it became dangerous to
live in it. Schillie turned us all out, therefore, one day, and taking
Oscar and Gatty, she placed them in different safe corners with guns,
and they all three fired their guns in the cavern for half an hour,
thereby bringing down any loose rocks or dangerous parts of the cavern.
When we were re-admitted, we were nearly all choked with the smell of
the gunpowder, which did not go off for a good while. The cavern was so
dry, healthy, and large, and being able to run down to the brook was so
delicious, that we scarcely thought of the danger we inc