"No!" she said, and opened her eyes in a moment. She gazed around
anxiously for Mademoiselle Cerise, but the Sailor-Boy placed himself
right before her and looked at her as adoringly as he knew how.

"Oh, Belinda," he said, "how I love you!"

"Do you?" said she with great surprise. "Well, you don't love me more
than I love you."

"You make me very happy, my lass," said he. "But why are you astonished
at my saying I love you? Have I not told you so before?"

"I thought you were quizzing," she answered.

"The sad expression of my face should have told you I was not quizzing,"
he replied.

"How could I tell what your expression was when I never saw it?" she
asked with some reproach.

"You did not see it because you always closed your eyes when I spoke to
you," he replied. "What made you do that?"

Belinda thought a moment

"It was merely a habit I had fallen into," said she.

"You should never become a slave to a habit," replied the curly-headed
Sailor-Lad. He spoke reprovingly, as he thought of his many heart-aches.

She did not like to be reproved, so she changed the subject.

"You made a mistake," she said. "Mademoiselle Cerise's dress is very
pretty, but it is not _precisely_ like mine; the pattern is larger and a
little louder, and the color is lighter and a little harsher."

"Well, perhaps," said the Sailor-Lad. He spoke very cheerful now, he
felt in such good spirits.

* * * * *

"I am very glad that the Sailor-Boy was happy at last," said the little
girl. "I was afraid Belinda never meant to open her eyes."

"It certainly looked like it at one time," answered the little
Marionette. "However, it was all right in the end, for she opened them
in time to prevent her Sailor-Boy's heart from breaking."

"I wonder why she kept them closed so long."

"I wonder," reflected the little Marionette. And she smiled.

"Force of habit, I suppose, as she herself said," she remarked after a
pause. "We all have our little ways. Now what sort of story would you
like to-morrow?"

The little girl thought deeply for a few moments. Then she said: "You
have told me a story about a sailor, so I should like the next one to be
about a soldier."

"A soldier--a soldier--" the Marionette answered. "I don't think I know
one about a soldier--Yes, stay; there is the story of the Officer and
the Elephant. That is about a soldier."

"An Officer and an Elephant! How nice!" exclaimed