" as
Fanny called it, but however kindly Emily had been told of her
carelessness she would have been certain to fly into a rage; and they
had put up with so much from her without complaining, that no one could
accuse them of being fidgety or captious.

As a matter of fact, Emily, who needed a very firm mistress of whom she
would stand in awe, should have been sent away long before. Kitty could
not manage her at all, and as she thought of all they had endured daily
at Emily's hands, she felt almost thankful that soon the management of
her would fall to Aunt Pike's lot.

"Did you say, Miss Kitty, that the master had asked Mrs. Pike to come
here to live altogether, to look after us?"

Kitty nodded despairingly. After all, the managing of Emily seemed but
a very trifling advantage to weigh against the Pike invasion and all
that would follow on it. "O Fanny," she sighed brokenly, "if only--if
only mother were alive! Nothing has gone right since, nor ever will
again; and I feel it is almost all my fault that Aunt Pike has got to
come, and--and--"

"Now don't take on like that, Miss Kitty," said Fanny, sniffing audibly,
and not entirely able to throw off a sense of her own guilt in the
matter. "'Tisn't nothing to do with you, I'm sure. If things _'as_ to
be, they _'as_ to be, and we'll manage some'ow. I'm going to set about
getting a nice supper so soon as ever I can. I think we'm all low with
the thunder and the 'eat, and we'll be better when we've had some food.
Now don't 'ee fret any more, that's a dear," and she wiped Kitty's eyes
and then her own on her very soiled apron, but Kitty bore it gladly for
the sake of the warm heart that beat beneath the soiled bib.

"Thank you, Fanny; you are a dear," she said gratefully; "and I will go
and light some lights about the house by the time father has done with
that patient he has in with him now."

Kitty had a great idea of making the house bright and cheerful, but in
her zeal she forgot the heat of the night.

"Phew! my word!" gasped Dr. Trenire as he came presently to the
dining-room. "Why, children, how can you breathe in this atmosphere?
I have been turning down the gas all the way I've come. But how nice
the table is looking, and how good something is smelling. I want some
supper pretty badly; don't you, little woman?" with a friendly pull at
Kitty's curls.

Kitty was not hungry now, but she was delighted by her father's
appreciation, and she cut the brea