15. the Magic

        door sters, and caughis room also.

        "It is a long time since I sa;    which crossed her mind.

        t fire gloe, and tleman ting before it. ing in his hand, and he looked as lonely and unhappy as ever.

        "Poor man!" said Sara. "I ;

        And t ;supposing" at t very moment.

        "Suppose," ;suppose--even if Carmicraces to Moscotle girl took from Madame Pascals sc to be quite a different c steps sake ?"

        into t Miss Mincairs to scold the cook.

        "ed your time?" s;You    for ;

        "It    and muddy," Sara ans;it ;

        "Make no excuses," said Miss Mind tell no false;

        Sara    in to ture and emper as a result. Soo rejoiced to o vent her rage on, and Sara was a venience, as usual.

        " you stay all nig; she snapped.

        Sara laid able.

        "; she said.

        them rumbling. She was in a very savage humor indeed.

        "May I o eat?" Sara asked ratly.

        "teas over and done ; ;Did you expect me to keep it    for you?"

        Sara stood silent for a sed.

        "I ; s, and e loremble.

        "try," said t;ts all youll get at time of day."

        Sara    and found t    . It o vent e on Sara. Really, it s of stairs leading to tic. Sen found teep    tonig seemed as if sop. Several times so stop to rest. op landing so see t ing from under    meant t Ermengarde o creep up to pay . t in t. It ter to go into t empty and desolate. table Ermengarde, tle.

        Yes; tting in t tucked safely under imate ed tic so sit on til Sara arrived. S, on time to bee rat a good deal, and oer a repressed squeal by sitting up on    edly in ion.

        "O; s, "I am glad you    so. I tried to coax o go back, but    for sucime. I like    it does frig at me. Do you t;

        "No," answered Sara.

        Ermengarde crao look at her.

        "You do look tired, Sara," s;you are quite pale."

        "I am tired," said Sara, dropping on to tstool. "Oo ask for ;

        Melc of ening for step. Sara e sure . ionate, expet expression as Sara put    and tur i, shaking her head.

        "Im very sorry," s;I    one crumb left. Go ell your . Im afraid I fot because t;

        Melderstand.    tentedly, back to his home.

        "I did not expect to see you tonig; Sara said. Ermengarde he red shawl.

        "Miss Amelia    to spend t ," s;No one else ever es and looks into ter ay il m if I ed to."

        Sed toable u. Sara    looked to as s. Ermengardes gesture ed one.

        "Papa    me some more books, Sara," s;t;

        Sara looked round and got up at once. So table, and pig up top volume, turned over its leaves quickly. For t s s.

        "A; s, "iful! Carlyles Fren. I ed to read t!"

        "I ," said Ermengarde. "And papa .    me to kno it w s;

        Sara stopped turning over t ed flush on her cheeks.

        "Look ; s;if youll leell you everyts in terell it so t you , too."

        "O; exclaimed Ermengarde. "Do you t;

        "I kno; Sara ans;ttle ones alell t;

        "Sara," said Ermengarde, ;if youll do t, and make me remember, Ill--Ill give you anyt;

        "I dont    you to give me anyt; said Sara. "I    your books--I    t; And    heaved.

        "take t; said Ermengarde. "I    I dont. Im not clever, and my fat to be."

        Sara er t; are you going to tell your fat; s doubt dawning in her mind.

        "O kno; ans;;

        Sara put dos almost like telling lies," s;And lies-- only imes"-- reflectively--"Ive t per do somet suddenly fly inte and kill Miss Miing me--but I couldnt be vulgar.    you tell your fat;

        "s me to read t; said Ermengarde, a little disced by ted turn of affairs.

        "s you to kno; said Sara. "And if I    tell it to you in an easy , I s."

        " if I learn anyt; said rueful Ermengarde. "You ;

        "Its not your fault t--" began Sara. Sopped rato say, "Its not your fault t you are stupid."

        "t ; Ermengarde asked.

        "t you t learn t; amended Sara. "If you t, you t. If I --;

        S very tender arde, and tried not to let oly to learn anyt once, and not being able to learn anyt all. As s s came to her.

        "Per; s;to be able to learn t everyto be kind is    deal to ot sill be a detestable te s of clever people    Robespierre--"

        Sopped and examined Ermengardes tenance, ;Dont you remember?" s;I told you about    long ago. I believe youve fotten."

        "ell, I dont remember all of it," admitted Ermengarde.

        "ell, you    a minute," said Sara, "and Ill take off my    t and tell you ain."

        Sook off    and coat and    t s about    ;Noen," she said.

        So tion, and told sucories of it t Ermengardes eyes gre terrified, tful tening, and s likely tet Robespierre again, or to s about the Princesse de Lamballe.

        "You kno ," Sara explained. "And siful floating blonde    al;

        It    Mr. St. Joo be told t to be left in ttic.

        "Nos tell eac; said Sara. "ting on ;

        "Ever so mucter siime I came up ions. Miss Minderstand    m."

        Sara laugtle and hugged her knees.

        "S uand    it is because soo, and I ; S;ttic     so dreadful," s;Its a good place to pretend in."

        trut Ermengarde did not knoimes almost unbearable side of life in ttid s a suffitly vivid imagination to depict it for    s ;pretended" and stories ook of ter of adventures; and times Sara looked rat    to be de stle spirit    admit of plaints. S at times s ravenous onigant    e even if s and regular meals of a mucure tizing, inferior food snatc sucimes as suited tco a certain gnawing feeling in omach.

        "I suppose soldiers feel like t; sen said to ;long and    made    sense of being a ess in ttic.

        "If I lived in a castle," s;and Ermengarde le, and came to see me, s and squires and vassals riding side to receive s in t rels to sing and play ae romances. o ttic I t spread feasts, but I    tell stories, and not let elaines o do t in time of famine, le celaine, and dispensed generously tality s.

        So, as t toget kno s as    walked s    alone. S as if se so hungry before.

        "I ;I believe you are to be. Your eyes look so big, and look at ttle boig out of your elbo;

        Sara pulled down self up.

        "I al; s;and I always ;

        "I love your queer eyes," said Ermengarde, looking into tionate admiration. "to be green--t;

        "ts eyes," laug;but I t see in tried, and I couldnt--I wis;

        It    at te t somet t urn and look, sartled by t of a dark face o t as silently as it    quite as silently, urned a little and looked up at the roof.

        "t didnt sound like Melc; s;It    scratc;

        "?" said Ermengarde, a little startled.

        "Didnt you t; asked Sara.

        "N-no," Ermengarde faltered. "Did you?" {anot;No- no,"}

        "Per," said Sara; "but I t I did. It sounded as if sometes--somet dragged softly."

        " could it be?" said Ermengarde. "Could it be--robbers?"

        "No," Sara began c;to steal--"

        S    tes, but on tairs belo    the dle.

        "S; sood in t;S;

        "ill s; Ermengarde wri.

        "No. S stir."

        It    Miss Mi fligairs. Sara could only remember t s once before. But    part of t sounded as if she was driving Becky before her.

        "You impudent, dis c; t;Cook tells me sedly."

        "t    me, mum," said Becky sobbing. "I     me--never!"

        "You deserve to be sent to prison," said Miss Minc;Pig and stealing!    pie, indeed!"

        "t    me,"    Becky. "I could ave eat a ."

        Miss Minc of breatemper and mounting tairs. t pie ended for e supper. It became apparent t she boxed Beckys ears.

        "Dont tell false; s;Go to your room tant."

        Botairs and into tic. t, and kne shrew herself upon her bed.

        "I could ave et t; to ;An I ook a bite. t to ;

        Sara stood in ttle teetting fiercely stretd still, but s move until Miss Mincairs and all ill.

        "t; s fort;takes teals t! S! Simes t ss crusts out of t; S    into passiotle sobs, and Ermengarde, . Sara    seemed to denote somety preseself to tle mind all at once. S off to table c ted it, s for Sara,    groo definite fear in her eyes.

        "Sara," simid, almost ari voice, are--are- -you old me--I dont    to be rude, but--are you ever ;

        It oo muc at t moment. ted her face from her hands.

        "Yes," se ;Yes, I am. Im so    I could almost eat you. And it makes it o ;

        Ermengarde gasped.

        "O; s;And I never kne;

        "I didnt    you to kno; Sara said. "It    beggar. I k beggar."

        "No, you dont--you dont!" Ermengarde broke in. "Your clottle queer--but you couldnt look like a street beggar. You    a street-beggar face."

        "A little boy once gave me a sixpence for cy," said Sara,    little lauge of ; is." And s t; mas sixpence if I    looked as if I ."

        Some of ttle sixpence    made ttle, tears in their eyes.

        "; asked Ermengarde, looking at it quite as if it    been a mere ordinary silver sixpence.

        "tle to a party," said Sara. "tle one mas presents and ;

        Ermengarde gave a little jump back sentences o roubled mind and given ion.

        "O; s; a silly t to    of it!"

        "Of ;

        "Somet; said Ermengarde, in aed ;ternoon my    au me a box. It is full of good touc, I    dinner, and I    papas books." o tumble over eac;Its got cake in it, and little meat pies, and jam tarts and buns, and es and red- currant o my room a te, and    it no;

        Sara almost reeled.    ion of food imes a curious effect. Sched Ermengardes arm.

        "Do you t; sed.

        "I kno; ans softly--put    into te back to Sara. "ts are out. Everybodys in bed. I    creep--and creep--and no one will ;

        It    eac sprang into Saras eyes.

        "Ermie!" s;Let us pretend! Let us pretend its a party! And o you i cell?"

        "Yes! Yes! Let us kno t ;

        Sara    to t sly. Simes.

        "t means, `e to me t passage uo unicate."

        Five quiocks answered her.

        "S; she said.

        Almost immediately ttic opened and Becky appeared.    sigo rub h her apron.

        "Dont mind me a bit, Becky!" cried Ermengarde.

        "Miss Ermengarde o e in," said Sara, "because s a box of good to us."

        Beckys cap almost fell off entirely, sement.

        "to eat, miss?" s;ts good to eat?"

        "Yes," ans;and o pretend a party."

        "And you s to eat," put in Ermengarde. "Ill go te!"

        Se t as siptoed out of ttic s kno    for a minute or so. Beuche good luck which had befallen her.

        "O; s;I kno    asked o let me e. It--it makes me cry to t." And s to Saras side and stood and looked at her worshipingly.

        But in Saras    o gloransform tic-- outside-- ernoon is barely passed-- yet faded--thing of magic.

        S h.

        "Some; s;just before t to t. It is as if t. If I could only just remember t al te es."

        Stle cheerful shake.

        "No, no! You mustnt cry!" s;e must make e aable."

        "Set table, miss?" said Becky, gazing round t;ll    it ;

        Sara looked round ttic, too.

        "t seem to be muc; she answered, half laughing.

        t moment s. It was Ermengardes red she floor.

        "; s;I kno. It ;

        table for. Red is a able color. It began to make tly.

        "; exclaimed Sara. "e must pretend t;

        t glance of admiration. the rug was laid down already.

        " and t is!" stle laug    doely, as if s somet.

        "Yes, miss," anscure. Se serious.

        " , no; said Sara, and sood still and put ;Somet a little"--in a soft, expet voice. "tell me."

        One of e fancies    on "tside," as s, ts ing for people to call tand and    many a time before, and kne in a few seds sened, laughing face.

        In a moment she did.

        "t; s;It    look among trunk I ;

        So its er and kneeled do    been put in ttic for , but because t else but rubbis s kind of ther.

        In a er lay a package so insignifit-looking t it    s it as a relic. It tained a dozen small able. Se table-cover, patting and coaxing to sward, s spells for .

        "tes," s;tes. ts in Spain."

        "Did t; breated by tion.

        "You must pretend it," said Sara. "If you pretend it enoug;

        "Yes, miss," said Becky; and as Sara returo trunk sed o t of apliso be desired.

        Sara turned suddenly to find anding by table, looking very queer indeed. S ing range vulsive tortions, iffly c rying to lift some enormous .

        " is tter, Becky?" Sara cried. " are you doing?"

        Becky opened art.

        "I endin, miss," stle s;I ryin to see it like you do. I almost did," ;But it takes a lot o strent;

        "Per does if you are not used to it," said Sara, ;but you dont knoen. I    try so    at first. It o you after a ell you    t;

        S in    of ttom of trunk. t. Sh off.

        "t," s;tand, Becky. Oerpiece."

        Becky o ly.

        " are t; s;Youd t I kno."

        "t; said Sara, arranging tendrils of t t;And t;--bending tenderly over t ;is purest alabaster encrusted ;

        Soucly, a    ure in a dream.

        "My, aint it lovely!" whispered Becky.

        "If    ; Sara murmured. "t;--darting to trunk again. "I remember I sae."

        It issue paper, but tissue paper ed into ttle diso orick    more table covered    runk. But Sara dre it, seeiaring in deliged breath.

        "t; sed, tic--"is it tille nourned into somet?"

        "O; said Sara. "Quite different. It is a ba ;

        "My eye, miss!" ejaculated Becky. "A bla all!" and suro vie .

        "A ba ; said Sara. "A vast cs are given. It ed roof, and a minstrels gallery, and a    is brilliant apers t;

        "My eye, Miss Sara!" gasped Becky again.

        taggering u of arted back ion of joy. to enter from tside, and find ones self fronted by a totally unanticipated festal board, draped e napery, and o feel t tions    indeed.

        "O; s. "You are t girl I ever sa;

        "Isnt it nice?" said Sara. "t of my old trunk. I asked my Magid it told me to go and look."

        "But o; cried Becky, " till sold you    just--oell ; appealing to Sara.

        So Sara told    see it all: tters--ted spaces--tapers. As taken out of ted cakes--ts--t became a splendid thing.

        "Its like a real party!" cried Ermengarde.

        "Its like a queens table," sighed Becky.

        t t.

        "Ill tell you ; s;Pretend you are a princess no."

        "But its your feast," said Sara; "you must be t;

        "O," said Ermengarde. "Im too fat, and I dont know ;

        "ell, if you    me to," said Sara.

        But suddenly s of someto ty grate.

        "t of paper and rubbisuffed in ; s;If    blaze for a fees, and ; Sruck a matced it up    specious glohe room.

        "By time it stops blazing," Sara said, " its not being real."

        Sood in the dang glow and smiled.

        "Doesnt it look real?" s;Noy."

        So table. Sarde and Becky. S of her dream.

        "Advance, fair damsels," s;and be seated at t table. My    on a long journey, o feast you." Surned ly to;, rels! Strike up ; sarde and Becky, "alo play at ts. Pretend trel gallery up t;

        time to take to t one of time to do more,    and turned pale faces toening--listening.

        Someone airs. take about it. Eag tread and khings had e.

        "Its--t; che floor.

        "Yes," said Sara, e face. "Miss Minc."

        Miss Mincruck t it ened faces to t table, and from t table to t flicker of t paper in te.

        "I ing somet," s;but I did not dream of sucy. Lavinia elling trut;

        So t it rode over to Becky and boxed ime.

        "You impudent creature!" s;You leave t;

        Sara stood quite still,    into tears.

        "O send ; s;My au me ty."

        "So I see," said Miss Minc;it table." Surned fiercely on Sara. "It is your doing, I kno; s;Ermengarde able, I suppose--; Samped    at Becky. "Go to your attic!" sole away, her face hidden in her apron, her shoulders shaking.

        t urn again.

        "I tend to you tomorro;

        "I    oday, Miss Minc; said Sara, ratly.

        "tter. You    stand t to t;

        So sable into t sight ardes new books.

        "And you"--tarde--" your beautiful y attic. take to bed. You ay tomorroo your papa.    would onig;

        Somet t made urn on her fiercely.

        " are you t; s; me like t?"

        "I ; ansable day in the schoolroom.

        " ;

        It ness in Saras manner. It .

        "I ; s;w my papa would say if onig;

        Miss Minced just as sself, as before, in an intemperate fas her and shook her.

        "You i, unmanageable c; s;;

        S t of t bato t it intardes arms, and pusohe door.

        "I o ; s;Go to bed tant." And s tumbling Ermengarde, a Sara standing quite alone.

        te at an end. t spark    of te a only black tiable    bare, tes and risformed again into old e paper, and discarded artificial flotered on trels in trel gallery olen aill. Emily ting    taring very    and picked rembling hands.

        "t any ba left, Emily," s;And t any princess. t but tille." And s down and hid her face.

        to look up at t at t, I do not kno--because if s t sainly artled by    t    alking tarde.

        But s look up. S tle black ime. S like t o bear somet up and    sloo the bed.

        "I t pretend anyt; s;t be any use in trying. If I go to sleep, perend for me."

        S so tired--per of food--t s doe weakly.

        "Suppose t fire in te, s of little dang flames," s;Suppose table d suppose table near, tle -- supper on it. And suppose"--as s;suppose tiful soft bed, s and large do; And o    asleep.

        S kno sired enougo sleep deeply and profoundly--too deeply and soundly to be disturbed by anytire family, if all ers o e out of to figumble and play.

        kno any particular t of rut it    fell in closing after a lite figure    near enougo see ic, but not near enougo be seen.

        At first s open    too sleepy and-- curiously enougoo able. Sable, i s believe s in some lovely vision.

        " a nice dream!" s;I feel quite - ---to--;

        Of course it s, and     toucly like a satin-covered eider-do. S not a--s be quite still and make it last.

        But s--even t ig. Someto a le fire.

        "O; s;I t --I t."

        e of ually smiled--for ic before, and knew she never should see.

        "O a; so rise on    ;I am dreami." S must be a dream, for if s-- could not be.

        Do you    s sure s e back to eart se ttle brass kettle ; by table, unfolded, covered e clot spread small covered diseapot; on tin-covered do; at t a curious ed slippers, and some books. to fairyland--and it , for a brigood on table covered h a rosy shade.

        S up, resting on    and fast.

        "It does not--melt a; sed. "O; So stir; but at last s    on turous smile.

        "I am dreaming--I am getting out of bed," sood up in t of it all, turning sloo side--"I am dreaming it stays--real! Im dreaming it feels real. Its becc all." o ;If I    only keep on t," s;I dont care! I dont care!"

        Sood panting a moment longer, and t again.

        "O isnt true!" s;It t be true! But orue it seems!"

        to it, and s do--so close t t made art back.

        "A fire I only dreamed    be ," she cried.

        Soucable, t to toucs. Sook up t c to    and    to her cheek.

        "Its s soft!" s sobbed. "Its real. It must be!"

        S over     into the slippers.

        "too. Its all real!" s;I am not--I am not dreaming!"

        S staggered to top. Sometten on t a fehese:

        "to ttle girl in ttic. From a friend."

        -- it a strao do-- s    into tears.

        "I dont kno; s;but somebody cares for me a little. I ;

        Sook ole out of o Beckys, and stood by her bedside.

        "Becky, Becky!" s;ake up!"

        uprigaring ag, ill smudged races of tears, beside ood a little figure in a luxurious ood at her very bedside, holding a dle in her hand.

        "e," s;O;

        Becky o speak. S up and followed    a word.

        And ly and dre of t. "Its true! Its true!" s;Ive touc, Becky,    let t te ;
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