t,' answered Sister Agatha, 'it is certain she can't stay here
for ever. You will have to make up your mind what is to be done before
long. Mary will soon be quite well again; besides, you will have other
things to think of.'

This conversation made Mary feel uncomfortable again. Of course she
ought not to have listened to it; she ought to have sat up in bed, or at
least to have called out to let Evangeline know she was not asleep. But
the fact was that Mary felt so interested to hear anything about herself
that she could not resist the temptation to listen, and after Evangeline
had gone downstairs again she still kept her eyes shut, although it was
late before she really fell asleep that night.

There were so many other things to think of that she soon forgot all
about her fear of going back to William Street, especially when Sister
Agatha began to pack a trunk with Mary's clothes and toys. She told her
they were going into the country--she and Evangeline and Mary. Of course
Mary had no idea what the country could be like, but she tried to find
out by asking a great many questions. Sister Agatha said there were
fields instead of houses, and trees instead of lamp-posts, but Mary did
not understand very clearly what a field was like; still the morning
came when they were to start, and Mary was ready first. When she stood
before the looking-glass with her new hat and jacket on, really she
hardly knew herself. It seemed as if Evangeline must have changed her as
Cinderella was changed, for you remember that even Cinderella's sisters
did not recognise her at the ball.

Mary Brown stood before the tall glass, and she saw a little girl with a
rather pale face; it looked very clean, and her brown hair was carefully
tied back with ribbon. She wore tan-coloured stockings and high button
boots, and altogether it was a little difficult to believe she was the
same Mary Brown who used to wear the ragged dress and to make mud pies
in the gutter.

She went downstairs holding Sister Agatha's hand, and on reaching the
hall she saw two very tall men in pale blue coats and white stockings.
Although they looked quite young men their hair was white, and one of
them took Mary in his arms to carry her across the pavement to a
carriage that was waiting before the door. It seemed so nice to be out
in the sunshine that Mary laughed aloud, but she was soon seated in the
carriage with Evangeline and Sister Agatha; then the horses started, and
p