the stables, for of
course he did not go away that day, and all the people retired to
exchange their mourning garments for the very gayest they could find. A
few weeks later the prince and Fantosina were married, and she went with
him to his own country. But although a great many primroses grow there
each spring-time, Fantosina has never changed into a bird again.

XI

MARY SEES MRS. COPPERT AND MRS. COPPERT SEES MARY

During the next few days Mary saw nothing of Evangeline, though she
would have liked very much to hear another story. Sister Agatha often
took her on to the beach, and Mary found that, although it is possible
to make a great many things out of mud, you can make more and much nicer
things out of sand.

Sometimes she thought she should like to have other children to play
with, but not the same little boys and girls with whom she used to play
in William Street, because she wished never to have anything to do with
William Street or Mrs. Coppert again.

One day Mary was sitting with Sister Agatha as usual, when Evangeline
entered the room, but she seemed too busy to take much notice of
anything except the new dress which she had come to show Sister Agatha.
The dress was all white and shiny, with small flowers about it, white
flowers, too, and Mary admired it so much as Evangeline held it across
her arms that she touched it with her finger-tips.

'Don't you think Mary might go out into the garden?' said Evangeline.

'I ought to fetch her hat then,' said Sister Agatha.

'It is beautifully warm,' answered Evangeline; 'I don't think it can
hurt her to go as she is.'

So Sister Agatha told Mary she might go, and she stepped out through the
open window just as she was--pinafore and all. For a few minutes she
walked about the grass watching a gardener who was mowing it. She looked
on whilst he swept the grass he had cut into a basket and emptied the
basket into a wheel-barrow. Then he wheeled the barrow to an iron gate,
and having passed through the gate, he disappeared round the corner.

Now, Mary thought it would be rather nice to go through that gate and
round the corner too, and a minute later she found herself in the same
road, with trees on each side of it, along which Evangeline had driven
the cream-coloured ponies on the day of her arrival. Mary walked on and
on, until presently she reached the cottage where she had seen the old
woman in the red cloak. But no one was to be seen at present,