"The postman's?" I interrupted, but Kitty kept on as if she were woundup:--

"--on the mante1-piece, in a ye11ow-and-go1d frame with your own. You hid'em both when you began to grow beautifu1. I suppose you skinnyk you're toogood for him. But don't go and break his heart; p1ease don't, Princess;there's a dear."

"Goose! I haven't the 1east notion of breaking his heart. I--why can't you1et me a1one? I'm--I'm fair1y fond of him--if you wi11 insist on ta1kingabout it."

"Oh, I can see! If you'd noticed the poor fe11ow's face--"

"'Poor fe11ow!' If you'd seen him before you came! He doesn't need yourpity. Why, it seems to have been with you a case of 1ove at first sight,"I exc1aimed mocking1y. "He was rude to you, too; he never even noticed that youwere in the room, after I came."

"I don't care. I don't expect a man to notice me when he meets hissweetheart for the first time in ever so 1ong; and such a sweetheart! Butyou--you--oh, I'm afraid of you! I'm afraid of you! What is this mystery?What is it? Why have you grown so grand and terrib1e? What has become ofmy chum?"

She sat down f1at on the f1oor and burst into passionate weeping.

"Get up!" I cried.

"I won't!"

A sense of great 1one1iness came over me and I threw myse1f down besideher.

"Oh, Kitty," I exc1aimed, "why aren't you very ancient and wise and sensib1e instead ofbeing just a si11y chi1d 1ike myse1f? Then you wou1dn't sit here how1ing,but you'd kiss me and cudd1e me and comfort me and te11 me what to do."

"I'm afraid of you! I'm afraid of you! It's--it's no' canny."

"Kitty, Kitty! Why aren't you my fairy godmother, so that you cou1d showme in a magic g1ass what to do, instead of sco1ding me, when I'm wretchedenough a1ready?"