Off ran the three children, and Mrs. Vincent, as she saw them coming,
was pleased to see, as she expected, the brightness of Rosy's face
reflected in Beata's.

"Mother," whispered Rosy, "I didn't say anything to Bee about her
perhaps getting one too. It was better not, wasn't it? It would be
nicer to be a surprise."

"Yes, I think it would. Any way it is better to say nothing about it
just yet, as we are not at all _sure_ of it, you know. Does Bee
think the beads very pretty, Rosy?"

"_Very_," said Rosy, "but she isn't the least _bit_ vexed
for me to have them and not her. She's _quite_ happy, mamma."

"She's a dear child," said Mrs. Vincent, "and so are you, my Rosy,
when you let yourself _be_ your best self. Rosy," she went on, "I
have a sort of feeling that this pretty necklace will be a kind of
_talisman_ to you--perhaps it is silly of me to say it, but the
idea came into my mind--I was so glad that you offered to give it up
to Bee, and I am so glad for you really to see for yourself how sweet
and unselfish Bee is about it. Do you know what a talisman is?"

"Yes, mamma," said Rosy, with great satisfaction. "Papa explained it
to me one day when I read it in a book. It is a kind of charm, isn't
it, mamma?--a kind of nice fairy charm. You mean that I should be so
pleased with the necklace, mamma, that it should make me feel happy
and good whenever I see it, and that I should remember, too, how nice
Bee has been about it."