the ones that ha' been bad."

Judith was at a loss, never having conceived that grown-ups might do
naughty things. Arnold went on, "If you'd ha' heard Madrina talking to
Pauline--say! Do you know what I did? I crawled under the bed--honest
I did. It didn't last but a minute, but it scared the liver out o'
me." This vigorous expression was a favorite of his.

Judith was somewhat impressed by his face and manner, but still
inclined to mock at a confession of fear. "Under the _bed_!" she
sneered.

Arnold evidently felt the horror of the recently enacted scene so
vividly that there was no room for shame in his mind. "You bet I did!
And so would you too, if you'd ha' been there. _Gee_!"

In spite of herself Judith looked somewhat startled by the vibration
of sincerity in his voice, and Sylvia, with her quick sympathy of
divination, had turned almost as pale as the little boy, who, all his
braggart turbulence gone, stood looking at them with a sick expression
in his eyes.

"Was it in your room?" asked Judith. "I thought Pauline's room was on
the top floor. What was she doing down there?"

"No, it was in old Rollins' room--next to mine. I don't know what
Pauline was doing there."

"What did Pauline do when Aunt Victoria scolded her?" asked Sylvia.
She had come to be fond of the pretty young maid with her fat, quick
hands and her bright, warm-hearted smile for her mistress' little
niece. One day, when Mrs. Marshall-Smith had, for a moment, chanced to
leave them alone, Pauline had given her a sudden embrace, and had told
her: "At 'ome zere are four leetle brozers and sisters. America is a
place mos' solitary!" "What did Pauline do?" asked Sylvia again as
Arnold did not answer.

The boy looked down. "Pauline just cried and cried," he said in a low
tone. "I _liked_ Pauline! She was awful good to me. I--I heard her
crying afterwards as she went away. Seemed to me I could hear her
crying all the way out here."

"Did she go away?" asked Judith, trying to make something coherent out
of the story. Arnold nodded.

"You bet she did. Madrina turned her right out--and old Rollins too."

"Was _he_ there? What was the matter anyhow?" Judith persisted.

Arnold twisted uncomfortably, loath to continue bringing up the scene.
"I d'n know what was the matter. Yes, old Rollins was there, all
right. He's gone away too, the doggoned old thing--for good. That's
_something_!" He added, "Aw, quit talkin' about it, can't you! Let's
play!