smoothed the child's fair hair with her
hand.

"Good news! Oh, dear Miss Kerr, do tell me what it is," cried the
little girl eagerly.

"Well, I have been having a long talk with your mama, Bunny, and--"

"Oh, yes, I know that. I saw you talk, talk, talk, only I couldn't
hear what you were saying, because the window was shut."

"No, I suppose not, dear, but listen. Your mama says you have an
uncle in India who has a little son of seven years old--"

"Oh, I know that, Miss Kerr! Why, that's no news! Of course I know
about Uncle Jim and Cousin Mervyn. I never saw them though, but
still I know they are in India, an awfully hot place it is, Sophie
says."

"Yes, so it is. But would you like to see this Cousin Mervyn, do you
think?"

"Oh, I'd just love to see him--but is he black? Sophie says the
people in those countries are black. Oh, I shouldn't like a black
cousin, Miss Kerr, indeed I should not," cried Bunny in a piteous
voice.

"You little goose, he's not black at all," cried Miss Kerr, laughing
at the little girl's look of consternation; "I have never seen him,
but his papa is supposed to be like your mama, so I daresay he will
have fair hair, blue eyes, and pink cheeks something very like your
own."

"Oh, I'm glad he is like that, for indeed I could not bear a black
cousin. Once I had a black doll given to me for a present, and I
screamed and screamed till nurse put it away out of the nursery."

"It is certainly very lucky that your cousin is not black, for it
would never do to scream at him, would it?" said Miss Kerr, "for he
has arrived in London and is coming here with your papa to-morrow
evening."

"Oh, I am glad! Oh, I am glad!" sang Bunny, dancing round the room
on the points of her toes. "What fun it will be to have a little
cousin to play with! Will he stay long, Miss Kerr?"

"Yes, a long time, Bunny," answered the governess. "It is too hot in
India for him to stay there any longer--indeed they think he has
stayed there too long already, and your mama has promised to take
care of him until he is old enough to go to school."

"Oh, that will be a nice long visit," said the little girl; "he'll
be staying with us just as if it was home, and he was my own
brother."

"Yes, dear, just so. He will be like your brother, I am sure; and he
is to have his lessons with you. I am to teach you both."

"Yes, and I'll lend him my pony and I'll let him play with my
kittens. And oh, Miss Kerr, I'll give him