so merry and happy, she forgot her foolish and unkind feelings about
her, and for the time they were all as contented and joyous as
children should be.

"Where is Fixie?" asked Beata. "May he not come out a little before
breakfast too?"

"Martha won't let him," said Rosy. "Nasty cross old thing. She says it
will make him ill, and I am sure it's much more likely to make him ill
keeping him poking in there when he wanted so much to come out with
us."

"I don't see how you can call Martha cross," said Colin. "And
certainly she's never _cross_ to Fixie."

"How do _you_ know?" said Rosy, sharply. "You don't see her half
as much as I do. And she can always pretend if she likes."

Beata looked rather anxiously at Colin. He was on the point of
answering Rosy crossly in his turn, and again Bee felt that sort of
nervous fear of quarrels or disagreeables which it was impossible to
be long in Rosy's company without feeling. But Colin suddenly seemed
to change his mind.

"Shall we run another race?" he said, without taking any notice of
Rosy's last speech.

"Yes," said Bee, eagerly, "from here to the library window. But you
must give me a little start--I can't run half so fast as you and
Rosy."