For already she felt that Mrs. Vincent thought her queer and
changeable, _rude_ even, perhaps, though she only smiled at
Beata's begging not to be praised, and Rosy, who had heard what she
said, gave her no thanks for it, but the opposite.

"That's all pretence," thought Rosy. "Everybody likes to be praised."

Mrs. Vincent went downstairs, leaving the children together, and
telling Rosy to help Beata to take off her things, as tea would soon
be ready. Beata had a sort of fear of what next Rosy would say, and
she was glad when Martha just then came into the room.

"Miss Rosy," she said, "will you please to go into the nursery and put
away your dolls' things before tea. They're all over the table. I'd
have done it in a minute, but you have your own ways and I was afraid
of doing it wrong."

She spoke kindly and cheerfully.

"What a nice nurse!" thought Beata, with a feeling of relief--a sort
of hope that Martha might help to make things easier for her somehow,
especially as there was something very kindly in the way the maid
began to help her to unfasten her jacket and lay aside her travelling
things. To her surprise, Rosy made no answer.

"Miss Rosy, please," said Martha again, and then Rosy looked up
crossly.

"'Miss Rosy, please,'" she said mockingly. "You're just putting on all