ton, as they drove along
the forest road encircling the crest of the hills towards Brudenell
Heights, that moonlit, dewy evening; "a rather remarkable boy! He has an
uncommonly fine head! I should really like to examine it! The intellect
and moral organs seem wonderfully developed! I really should like to
examine it carefully at my leisure."

"He has a fine face, if it were not so pale and thin," said Mrs.
Middleton.

"Poor, poor fellow," said Claudia, in a tone of deep pity, "he is thin
and pale, isn't he? And Fido is so fat and sleek! I'm afraid he doesn't
get enough to eat, uncle!"

"Who, Fido?"

"No, the other one, the boy! I say I'm afraid he don't get enough to
eat. Do you think he does?"

"I--I'm afraid not, my dear!"

"Then I think it is a shame, uncle! Rich people ought not to let the
poor, who depend upon them, starve! Papa says that I am to come into my
mamma's fortune as soon as I am eighteen. When I do, nobody in this
world shall want. Everybody shall have as much as ever they can eat
three times a day. Won't that be nice?"

"Magnificent, my little princess, if you can only carry out your ideas,"
replied her uncle.

"Oh! but I will! I will, if it takes every dollar of my income! My mamma
told me that when I grew up I must be the mother of the poor! And
doesn't a mother feed her children?"

Middleton laughed.

"And as for that poor boy on the hill, he shall have tarts and cheese
cakes, and plum pudding, and roast turkey, and new books every day;
because I like him; I like him so much; I like him better than I do
anything in the world except Fido!"

"Well, my dear," said Mr. Middleton, seizing this opportunity of
administering an admonition, "like him as well as Fido, if you please;
but do not pet him quite as freely as you pet Fido."

"But I will, if I choose to! Why shouldn't I?" inquired the young lady,
erecting her haughty little head.

"Because he is not a dog!" dryly answered her uncle.

"Oh! but he likes petting just as much as Fido! He does indeed, uncle; I
assure you! Oh, I noticed that."

"Nevertheless, Miss Claudia, I must object in future to your making a
pet of the poor boy, whether you or he like it or not."

"But I will, if I choose!" persisted the little princess, throwing back
her head and shaking all her ringlets.

Mr. Middleton sighed, shook his head, and turned to his wife,
whispering, in a low tone:

"What are we to do with this self-willed elf? To carry out her f