"What a pretty flower!" Flossie exclaimed, in her low soft voice, indicating the flower in the vase in front of Amy.
"There’s half a crumb left," said Albert, passing the cake-plate to Flossie carefully. "We thought we’d better keep it for you, though we don’t reckon to keep anything for little girls that come late."
"Amy," whispered her mother, leaning towards the fat girl. "Wouldn’t it be nice of you to give your flower to Flossie?" Amy started.
"I don’t want to," she whispered back, flushing.
The flower was a gift to Amy from Bert, out of the birthday bunch presented to him by Rupert. Mysterious relations existed between Bert and the benignant, acquiescent Amy.
"Oh! Amy!" her mother protested, still whispering, but shocked.
Tears came into Amy’s eyes. These tears Amy at length wiped away, and, straightening her face, offered the flower with stiff outstretched arm to her friend Flossie. And Flossie smilingly accepted it.
"It _is_ kind of you, you darling!" said Flossie, and stuck the flower in an interstice of her embroidered pinafore.
Amy, gravely lacking in self-control, began to whimper again.
"That’s my good little girl!" muttered Clara to her, exhibiting pride in her daughter’s victory over self, and rubbed the child’s eyes with her handkerchief. The parents were continually thus "bringing up" their children. Hilda pressed her lips together.
Immediately afterwards it was noticed that Flossie was no longer eating.
"I’ve had quite enough, thank you," said she in answer to expostulations.
"No jam, even? And you’ve not finished your tea!"
"I’ve had quite enough, thank you," said she, and folded up her napkin.
"Please, father, can we go and play in the garden now?" Bert asked.
"Yes, I think they might," said Clara. "Go and play nicely." They all rose.
"Now quietly, qui-etly!" Albert warned them.
And they went from the room quietly, each in his own fashion,--Flossie like a modest tsarina, young Clara full of virtue and holding Rupert by the hand, Amy lumpily, tiny Lucy as one who had too soon been robbed of the privilege of being the youngest, and Bert in the rear like a criminal who is observed in a suspicious act. And Albert blew out wind, as if getting rid of a great weight.