e sticking up here when the dinner is ready
down-stairs--oh, I smell it, and it does smell nice! and I am so
hungry, and it's very stupid of you to keep me shut up here."

"Well, I thought you were sorry and wanted to tell Miss Kerr so,"
said Bunny complacently, as she shook out her frock and admired
herself in the long glass. "It's very greedy to talk so much about
your dinner."

"Is it?" grumbled Mervyn. "Well, I don't care! I'm sure you're just
as bad twisting about and looking at yourself in the glass, for
that's being vain, and I'd rather be greedy than vain, so I would,
Bunny."

"Would you? Oh, that's because you're a boy. Boys are greedy, but
it's vulgar to be greedy--Sophie says it is, but it's different to
be vain, I--"

"Mademoiselle Bunny, come out this minute. Ah, what a little naughty
one you are! and that cousin of yours he is a wicked bad boy--he
leads you into the mischiefs of all kinds. Come out, I say, the
dinner is ready and Miss Kerr is waiting for you;" and Sophie
rattled the handle and hammered at the door till the whole passage
was filled with the noise and the other servants came running from
all parts of the house to see what could be the matter.

"What is wrong, Sophie?" asked Miss Kerr, as she too hurried
upstairs wondering what was going on in the corridor. "Why are you
making such a dreadful noise?"

"Ah! ma foi! Noise, Miss Kerr! What can I do but make a noise, when
those two children have locked themselves into your room, and will
not come out for their dinner. Is it then a wonder that I make a
noise?" and she began once more to bang the door as if she would
like to break it in.

"That was Miss Kerr's voice, Bunny," whispered Mervyn; "do open the
door and let us go out to her now."

"Is it really? I only heard Sophie. Miss Kerr," she called, "are you
there?"

"Yes, Bunny, I am here. Come out, child, come to your dinner. You
must be starving, both of you."

"Yes, we are," answered Bunny, "and we will go out if you will send
Sophie away. Mervyn and I want to tell you something."

"Ah! what a naughty child!" cried Sophie. "Meess Kerr, they have
both been so very difficult, so wicked! They have run away, they
have gone in the lift, they have just escaped being seized by
kidnappers and--"

"That's a great story, Sophie," cried Bunny through the door, "for
there was not a single kidnapper near us; was there, Mervyn?"

"No, there wasn't," said Mervyn, "not one, Sophie, there wa