This was the one threat that had any power to move Miss Bunny, so
down she scrambled and ran away as fast as she could over the grass.

There was still no sign of Miss Kerr, so the child wandered about,
wondering what was keeping her governess, and wishing she had
something to do, when all at once her eyes fell on a beautiful
rose-tree, almost weighed down with the quantity of its flowers, and
she flew at it in delight and began to pull off the lovely blossoms
and pin one of them into the front of her frock. But like most
foolish children she broke them off so short that there was no stalk
left with which to fasten them, and so the poor rose fell upon the
ground, and the little girl impatiently snatched at another and
dragged it ruthlessly from the branch. This went on for some time,
and would probably have gone on until not a flower remained upon the
bush, had not Sophie again made herself heard from the nursery
window.

"Miss Bunny, how can you derange the beautiful roses?" she cried
indignantly. "There will be not one left to give to your papa when
he comes home, and you know he loves those sweet flowers so much."

"Oh, I am so sorry," cried Bunny. "But there are some dear little
buds, and I will just leave them for papa. Who knows perhaps they
may be roses by to-morrow evening!" and away she flitted like a
white-winged butterfly in search of some other sweet flowers that
she might make her own, without fear of further interruption from
sharp-tongued Sophie.

At last, when she had such a large bouquet that her little hands
could scarcely hold it, she wearied of her occupation, and stepping
softly to the drawing-room window, she peeped in just to see what
Miss Kerr and her mama could be doing that kept them shut up there
for so long together.

"I'll take mama these flowers," she said to herself, "and I am sure
they will make her headache better. I'll just tap gently at the
window and Miss Kerr will let me in, and I'll be so good and quiet
that mama will not mind me being with her while she talks."

Bunny waited for some minutes, hoping to be admitted to the room,
but no notice was taken of her knocking--for the ladies were too
much absorbed in their own affairs to trouble themselves about her.

Mrs. Dashwood lay on the sofa, and her face had a flushed anxious
expression, as she listened to Miss Kerr, who was seated on a stool
by her side, and seemed to be talking very earnestly, but her voice
was low, and as