shed to do _exactly_ the same as Martha and
herself, and that was _so_ tiresome.

For instance, all the children were very fond of dear Miss Grey. But now
it was always Kitty who must sit next to her, Kitty who rushed to supply
her with roses to wear and strawberries to eat, Kitty who kissed her
repeatedly at the most awkward moments. Martha and Betty, who naturally
felt that Miss Grey was their _own dear_ Miss Grey, could hardly get
near her at all, and Betty resented this very much. In fact, she
gradually got to dwell so entirely on these annoyances that she could
not think of Kitty's good qualities at all, and was quite unable to
remember that she was generous and affectionate, and that her faults,
though tiresome, were partly the result of a longing to be loved.

At last, the clouds having gathered, the storm came.

One morning, almost as soon as she got up, Betty felt that every single
thing Kitty did or said was silly. It did not occur to her that perhaps
she was a little bit cross herself, which was the real explanation.

After breakfast they all three went down to the pond, and, dividing the
water into shares, began to fish for frogs and newts.

"In a minute," said Betty to herself as she watched Kitty, "she'll say
Martha and I have the best places."

It happened just so.

"I say," said Kitty, throwing down her net and coming close up to Betty,
"I've got the worst place of all, there's nothing to catch in this
part!"

"You haven't tried long enough," said Martha.

"Let's change," was Kitty's next suggestion as she stood looking eagerly
over Betty's shoulder.

"All right," said Betty moodily, and she went round to the part of the
pond Kitty had left, where she almost immediately caught two tadpoles
and a newt.

"Look there!" she cried, holding up her net triumphantly.

"Oh!" screamed Kitty, "you _are_ lucky. _Do_ let me try," and she rushed
up to Betty's side and seized hold of the net. But this was too much.
Betty let go of the handle and said indignantly, "I shan't fish any
more. You're so unfair; you always are!" And she walked away in a rage.
"Kitty is more tiresome than ever," she said to herself. "She spoils
everything. I wish she would go away!"

All that day she preserved an attitude of dignified sulkiness in spite
of Kitty's frequent attempts to make it up. When she came and threw her
arm round her, Betty shook it off impatiently.

That evening the three little girls were in the woods wi