's your name, gweat big woman?"

"Mother Rodesia Lee," replied the woman, "and I'm fond of little
children. I like to meet them in the wood. I often come into the wood,
and when I see little strange children I love 'em at once. I'm a sort
of mother to all little strangers who get into the woods without
leave." Here she flashed a pair of black eyes full into Diana's face.
But Diana met their gaze without a vestige of shrinking, with eyes as
black.

"We has not come without leave," she said; "you is naughty to talk
that way. We has got a whole holiday to-day from our Uncle William. He
didn't say nothing 'bout not going into the woods, and we has been
here for lots of hours. We is going home now 'cos we is hung'y, and
'cos my bow has got bwoke. We is awfu' unhappy--we is mis'ble, but we
is going home. Good-night, woman; don't keep us talkin' any longer."

"I aint going to keep you," said the woman; "only, p'r'aps, if you
two are so hungry, p'r'aps I could give you a bit of supper."

"Oh, yes, Diana! Do let her," said Orion.

"What sort of supper?" asked Diana, who never allowed herself to be
taken unawares. "Would it be stwawberries and k'eam, or would it be
cake and milk?"

"Strawberries and cream, and milk and cake, plenty and plenty," said
the woman. "And what do you say to delicious soup and honey, p'r'aps?
Oh, come along, my little loves; I'll give you something fine to eat."

"Do let's go," said Orion; "my tumtum's so empty it feels like a big
hole."

"I know," said the woman, in a very sympathetic voice. "I have had it
myself like that at times. It's sort of painful when it's like that;
aint it?"

"Yes," answered Orion. He went up to his sister, and took her hand.
"Come along, Di," he said. "Do let this nice woman give us our
supper."

"You may be sure I won't give it," said the woman, "unless both you
little children ask me in a very perlite voice. You must say, 'Please,
Mother Rodesia.'"

"I can't say that keer sort of name," said Diana.

"Well, then, call me mother without anything else. They often does
that at home--often and often. All the little kids is desp'ate fond of
me. I dote so on little children. My heart runs over with love to
'em."

"You would not let a little girl be beated?" said Diana.

"Be beaten?" replied the woman. "No, that I wouldn't; it would be
downright cruel."

"I was beated to-day," said Diana; "it was an enemy did it, and I'm
going to have her shotted."

"Oh, I wou