s mine, so no one will blame you. Do it!" said the Princess,
waving her hand to the footman, who jumped down and had Daisy in the
great clover-field before Betty could say a word.

"She will like that; and now I can go if you don't mind my old gown and
hat,--I have no other clothes," she said, as the cow began to eat, and
the footman opened the carriage door for her.

"I like it. Come in.--Now, go home at once," said the Princess; and
there was poor little Betty rolling away in the grand carriage, feeling
as if it was all a fairy tale.

The Princess asked a great many questions, and liked her new friend more
and more; for she had never spoken to a poor child before, or known how
they live. Betty was excited by this fine adventure, and was so gay and
charming in her little ways that the old nurse soon forgot to watch lest
she should do or say something amiss.

When they drove up to the great marble palace shining in the sun, with
green lawns and terraces and blooming gardens all about it, Betty could
only hold her breath and look with all her eyes as she was led through
splendid halls and up wide stairs into a room full of pretty things,
where six gayly dressed maids sewed and chattered together.

The Princess went away to rest, but Betty was told to stay there and be
dressed before she went to play with her Highness. The room was full of
closets and chests and boxes and baskets, and as the doors opened and
the covers flew off, Betty saw piles of pretty frocks, hats, cloaks, and
all manner of dainty things for little girls to wear. Never had she
dreamed of such splendid clothes, all lace and ribbons, silk and velvet.
Hats with flowers and feathers, pretty pink and blue shoes with gold and
silver buckles, silk stockings like cobwebs, and muslin and linen
petticoats and nightgowns and little caps all embroidered as if by fairy
fingers.

She could only stand and look like one in a dream while the maids very
kindly took away her poor brown dress and hat, and after much gossip
over what looked best, at last put on a rosy muslin frock, a straw hat
with roses in it, and some neat shoes and stockings. Then when her hair
was smoothed in thick brown curls, they told her to look in the tall
mirror and tell what she saw there.

"Oh, what a pretty little girl!" cried Betty, smiling and nodding at the
other child, who smiled and nodded back at her. She did not know
herself, never having had any glass but a quiet pool in the woo