lways wanting something
different, and complaining about everything.

"Let's go back now," she said at last, dragging her feet slowly through
a puddle as she spoke; "my feet are wet."

"I should think they were," sighed Miss Mervyn. "Come, let us make
haste home, so that you may have your boots and stockings changed."

But the perverse Philippa would not hurry. She now lingered behind the
others, and even stood still now and then, causing Miss Mervyn great
misery. "She will certainly take cold," she murmured. "Cannot you
persuade her, my dears, to come on."

"Let's have a race, Philippa, as far as the house," called out Dennis.

Running fast had been forbidden, so it was perhaps on that account
attractive to Philippa, who at once consented to the proposal, and Miss
Mervyn, thinking it the less of two evils, made no objection.

"Maisie must have a start because she's the smallest," said Dennis,
placing his sister a little in front; "now, one, two, three, off!"

The little flying figures sped away towards the house, and Miss Mervyn
following, was pleased to see that Dennis allowed Philippa to win the
race; that would perhaps make her more good-tempered.

"Ha, ha!" exclaimed Philippa, pointing a scornful finger at Maisie as
she came panting up last, with her round cheeks very red. "What a slow
coach! Maisie's too fat to run."

"She's younger than we are," said Dennis, who did not allow any one but
himself to tease his sister.

"There's not much difference," said Philippa, as the children walked up
to the house; "in three weeks it will be my birthday, and I shall be
nine."

"Mine isn't for three more months," said Maisie.

"Any one would think me quite twelve years old," said Philippa, with her
chin in the air, "because I'm tall and slight. Maisie has such a baby
look.--I'm going to have a party on my birthday."

"Are you?" said Maisie with sudden interest.

She gave Dennis's arm a squeeze, to make him understand she had just got
a good idea; but he only stared round at her, and said, "Don't pinch
so," and Philippa continued:

"Yes, I shall have a party, and a birthday cake, and magnificent
presents."

"Can you guess what they will be?" asked Maisie.

"Mother says she won't tell me what hers is," said Philippa; "but I
shall make her."

"How?"

"Oh," said Philippa carelessly, "if I want to know very much, I shall
cry, and then I always get what I want."

Philippa was not in a nice mood to-day