to dispense with the punishment altogether; "as it was only a
flower-pot, I will leave out the 'most severely.'"

Milly's face brightened.

"I think," she said, coming up to him and laying one hand on his
knee--"I think if I were to go to bed instead of coming down to dessert
with you this evening, that would punish me; don't you think so?"

"Very well, that will do. Now run away, and let this be your last
breakage. I cannot be worried with your punishments."

"I will try to be very good, nurse, always," said Milly while being
tucked up in bed that night, "because Uncle Edward is very puzzled when
he has to punish me. He doesn't know what to do. He looked quite unhappy
and said it worried him."

And Sir Edward as he finished his dinner in silence and solitude
muttered to himself,--

"That child is certainly a great nuisance at times, but, upon my word, I
quite miss her this evening. Children after all are original, if they
are nothing else, and she is one of the most original that I have ever
met."

It was Sunday morning, and Sir Edward was just starting for church. As
he stood over the blazing fire in the hall buttoning a glove, a little
voice came to him from the staircase:

"Uncle Edward, may I come down and speak to you?"