that, my dear?"

"Yes, sir," answered Rose, much taken down by this comparison with the
girl from the poor-house. It nettled her sadly, and she showed that it
did by saying quickly,

"I suppose you would like to have me sweep and scrub, and wear an old
brown dress, and go round with my sleeves rolled up, as Phebe does?"

"I should very much, if you could work as well as she does, and show as
strong a pair of arms as she can. I haven't seen a prettier picture for
some time than she made of herself this morning, up to the elbows in
suds, singing like a blackbird whilst she scrubbed on the back stoop."

"Well, I do think you are the queerest man that ever lived!" was all
Rose could find to say after this display of bad taste.

"I haven't begun to show you my oddities yet, so you must make up your
mind to worse shocks than this," he said, with such a whimsical look
that she was glad the sound of a bell prevented her showing more plainly
what a blow her little vanities had already received.

"You will find your box all open up in auntie's parlor, and there you
can amuse her and yourself by rummaging to your heart's content; I've
got to be cruising round all the morning getting my room to rights,"
said Dr. Alec, as they rose from breakfast.

"Can't I help you, uncle?" asked Rose, quite burning to be useful.

"No, thank you, I'm going to borrow Phebe for a while, if Aunt Plenty
can spare her."

"Anybody anything, Alec. You will want me, I know, so I'll give orders
about dinner and be all ready to lend a hand"; and the old lady bustled
away full of interest and good-will.

"Uncle will find that I can do some things that Phebe can't, so now!"
thought Rose, with a toss of the head as she flew to Aunt Peace and the
long-desired box.

Every little girl can easily imagine what an extra good time she had
diving into a sea of treasures and fishing up one pretty thing after
another, till the air was full of the mingled odours of musk and
sandalwood, the room gay with bright colours, and Rose in a rapture of
delight. She began to forgive Dr. Alec for the oatmeal diet when she saw
a lovely ivory workbox; became resigned to the state of her belt when
she found a pile of rainbow-coloured sashes; and when she came to some
distractingly pretty bottles of attar of rose, she felt that they almost
atoned for the great sin of thinking Phebe the finer girl of the two.

Dr. Alec meanwhile had apparently taken Aunt Plenty at her word,