As Fluff rubbed her rough head confidingly against her shoulder, Fern gave a musical little laugh that was delicious to hear. "You absurd child," she said, in an amused tone, "I really must tell Mr. Erle not to take you again to the Zoölogical Gardens; you talk of nothing but bears and jaguars. So you want a story, you are positively insatiable, Fluff; how am I to think of one with my wits all wool-gathering and gone a-wandering like Bopeep's sheep? It must be an old one. Which is it to be? 'The Chocolate House,' or 'Princess Dove and the Palace of the Hundred Boys.'"
"Humph," returned Fluff, musingly; "well, I hardly know. 'The Chocolate House' is very nice, with its pathway paved with white and pink sugar plums, and its barley-sugar chairs; and don't you remember that, when Hans was hungry, he broke a little brown bit off the roof; but after all, I think I like 'Princess Dove and the Palace of the Hundred Boys' best. Let us go on where you left off."
"Where we left off?" repeated Fern, in her clear voice. "Yes, I recollect. Well, when Prince Happy-Thought--"
"Ah--true--well, when it came to Prince Merrydew's turn to throw up the golden ball, it went right over the moon and came down the other side, so Princess Dove proclaimed him victor, and gave him the sapphire crown; and the hundred boys--and--where was I, Fluff?"
"In the emerald meadow, where the ruby flowers grew," returned Fluff. "Go on, Fern."
"So Princess Dove put on the crown, and it was so heavy that poor Prince Merrydew's head began to ache, and the wicked old fairy Do-nothing, who was looking on, hobbled on her golden crutches to the turquois pavilion, and--hush! I hear footsteps. Jump off my lap, Fluffy, dear, and let me light the candles." And she had scarcely done so before there was a quick tap at the door, and the next moment two young men entered the room.
Fluff ran to them at once with a pleased exclamation.
"Why, it is Percy and Mr. Erle; oh, dear, how glad I am."
"How do you do, Toddlekins," observed her brother, stooping to kiss the child's cheek, and patting her kindly on the head; "how are you, you dark-eyed witch," but as he spoke, his eyes glanced anxiously round the room.
"We never expected to see you to-night, Percy, dear," observed Fern, as she greeted him affectionately, and then gave her hand with a slight blush to the young man who was following him. "Mother will be so sorry to miss you; she was obliged to go out again. One of the girls at Miss Martingale's is ill, and Miss Theresa seems fidgety about her, so mother said she would sit with the invalid for an hour or two."