turned away without any display of touchiness and took
the necklace from Mary's hand to put it on herself. It was of fine
workmanship, set with pearls, and took her fancy greatly; only the
empty medallion from which Hiram had removed the emerald with his knife
spoiled the whole effect. Still, it was a princely jewel, and when she
had also taken from the chest a large fan of ostrich feathers she showed
off to her play-fellow, with droll, stiff dignity, how the empress and
princesses at Court curtsied and bowed graciously to their inferiors. At
this they both laughed a great deal. When Paula had finished her toilet
and proceeded to take the necklace off Katharina, the empty setting,
which Hiram's knife had bent, caught in the thin tissue of her dress.
Mary disengaged it, and Paula tossed the jewel back into the trunk.

While she was locking the box she asked Katharina whether she had met
Orion.

"Orion!" repeated the younger girl, in a tone which implied that
she alone had the right to enquire about him. "Yes, we came upstairs
together; he went to see the wounded man. Have you anything to say to
him?"

She crimsoned as she spoke and looked suspiciously at Paula, who simply
replied: "Perhaps," and then added, as she hung the ribbon with the key
round her neck: "Now, you little girls, it is breakfast time; I am not
going down to-day."

"Oh, dear!" cried Mary disappointed, "my grandfather is ailing and
grandmother will stay with him; so if you do not come I shall have to
sit alone with Eudoxia; for Katharina's chariot is waiting and she must
go home at once. Oh! do come. Just to please me; you do not know how
odious Eudoxia can be when it is so hot."

"Yes, do go down," urged Katharina. "What will you do up hereby
yourself? And this evening mother and I will come again."

"Very well," said Paula. "But first I must go to see the invalids."

"May I go with you?" asked the Water wagtail, coaxingly stroking Paula's
arm. But Mary clapped her hands, exclaiming:

"She only wants to go to Orion--she is so fond of him...."

Katharina put her hand over the child's mouth, but Paula, with quickened
breath, explained that she had very serious matters to discuss with
Orion; so Katharina, turning her back on her with a hasty gesture
of defiance, sulkily went down stairs, while Mary slipped down the
bannister rail. Not many days since, Katharina, who was but just
sixteen, would gladly have followed her example.

Paula meanwhile