Part 6 (2/2)

He stopped and came up to her, exclaiming of course, ”I say, who's there? What's up?”

”It's me--Prin--I mean one of the little girls next door, the one who picked up your old books the other day. I want to ask you something, please.”

Red-Head was all attention, and the two went on talking for some minutes.

”You're sure he will?” said Jinny at last.

”Quite positive. I'll get all out of him I can. It's real silver, you say.”

”Real, pure silver,” she replied.

”And--and it's your very own? I mean you may do what you like with it?”

Red-Head went on, for he was a boy with a conscience.

”Of course it's my own. Do you think I'd steal?” exclaimed Jinny indignantly, so indignantly that she omitted to answer his second question, not even asking it of herself.

”No, no, of course not. But you know--_I_ wouldn't get leave to sell my watch though it's my own. Only I suppose it's all because you've no father and mother to look after you. It's very hard on you to have no toys. I suppose girls can't live without dolls. But I say, tell me again about the doll. I'll have to do it all at once, for we're going away for the holidays the day after to-morrow.”

”You're to get all the money you can, and the very prettiest doll you can have for the money. With brown hair, remember--not light, we're tired of light, we've all got it ourselves--and not black, black's common.”

”And not red, I suppose. You may as well say it. I don't mind.”

”Well, no,” said Ginevra hesitatingly. She would not for worlds have hurt his feelings--no princess would so treat a trusty adherent--yet she could not pretend to a weakness for red hair. ”I _think_ we'd like brown best.”

”All right. Then to-morrow afternoon, just about this time. It's a half-holiday--we're breaking up, but it's best to wait till dark for fear you should get a scolding. I'll be here just about this time, with--you know what.”

”Thank you, oh thank you so much,” and Ginevra held out her hand, half expecting him to kiss it, instead of which, however, he gave it a schoolboy shake.

”I can excuse it, however; he could not be expected to understand,” she said to herself as she flew up to the nursery.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SIX POOR LITTLE PRINCESSES

”Ginevra found herself running upstairs, though not so fast as the evening before, for fear of dropping the precious parcel she held in her arms.” P. 71]

She could scarcely sleep that night, and the next morning it was all she could do to keep her secret. But there was plenty of determination under Princess Jinny's fair curls, and by dint of much squeezing of her lips together and saying to herself what a pity it would be to spoil the beautiful ”surprise,” she managed to get through the morning without doing more than dropping some mysterious hints. But how long the day seemed, short as it really was! Would it never get dark? For it was clear and frosty, and the afternoon, to Jinny, appeared, out of contradiction, to be twice as long as usual of closing in.

”All comes, however, to him (or her) who waits,” and the blissful moment at last arrived when Ginevra found herself running upstairs, though not so fast as the evening before, for fear of dropping the precious parcel she held in her arms.

”The dear, sweet boy,” she said to herself. ”I'd have liked to kiss him.

Perhaps we all might when he comes home again.”

For Red-Head's last words had been a charge not to forget to let him know after the holidays if Miss Dolly was approved of.

Ginevra burst into the nursery.

”Princesses,” she exclaimed, ”shut your eyes, while I unwrap her. I'll shut mine too. I haven't seen her myself.”

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