eon, and soon after that the nursery dinner was served.
Hannah waited upon us very nicely, and then took her place at the table.
She was a thoroughly respectable girl, and her presence was not in the
least irksome to me. I always thought it was a grand old feudal custom
when all the retainers dined at the baron's table, taking their place
below the salt. Surely there can be nothing derogatory to human dignity
in that, seeing that we shall one day eat bread together in the kingdom
of Heaven.

I wonder if half the governesses fared so luxuriously as I that day;
certainly the chicken and bread sauce was delicious. As soon as we had
finished, baby woke up, and I fed him, and then Joyce and he and I had a
fine game of romps together, in which Snap, and the kitten, and all
Joyce's dolls joined.

I had dressed the kitten up in doll's clothes, and the fun was at its
height, when the door opened, and Mr. Morton came in. I discovered
afterwards that it was his custom to make a brief visit to the nursery
once in the four and twenty hours, sometimes with his wife, but oftener
alone.

Joyce ran to him at once; she was devoted to her parents, especially to
her mother, but the boy refused to leave me, unless his father would
take the kitten too.

"I suppose I must humour you, my fine fellow," observed Mr. Morton,
pleasantly, as he kissed the little fellow with affection, and then he
turned to me.

"I hope you find yourself comfortable, nurse, and that my children are
good to you."

"They could not be better, sir, and I am quite comfortable, thank you,"
I returned, with unusual meekness. I was not a very meek person
generally, as Uncle Keith could testify, but there was a subduing
influence in Mr. Morton's look and voice. I must own I was rather afraid
of him, and I would not have omitted the "sir" for worlds, neither would
I have seated myself without his bidding; but he took it all quite
naturally.

"As my wife and I are dining out, Joyce will not come down in the
drawing-room as usual," he observed, in his business-like manner. "Do
you hear, my little girl? Mother and I are engaged this evening, and you
must stay upstairs with Reggie."

"Werry tiresome," I heard Joyce say under her breath, and then she
looked up pleadingly into her father's face. "Her is coming by-and-by,
fardie?"

"Oh, no doubt," stroking the dark hair; "but mother is driving at
present. Now, say good-bye to me, Joyce, and you must give me a kiss,
too