It was fun for the child,
but almost death to the woman, who, when she could endure it no longer,
sank into a chair, and tried by speaking sharply, to make the little
girl understand that she must keep quiet. But when she scolded, baby
scolded back, in a language wholly unintelligible, shaking her curly
head, and sometimes stamping her foot by way of emphasizing her words.
When Mrs. Crawford laughed the child laughed, and when once a pang
severer than usual wrung the tears from her eyes, baby looked at her
compassionately a moment, while her little face puckered itself into
wrinkles as if she too were going to cry; then, putting up her soft hand
she wiped the tears from Mrs. Crawford's cheeks, and, climbing into her
lap, became as quiet as a kitten. But a touch sufficed to start her up,
for she was full of fun and frolic, and her laughing blue eyes, which
were of that wide-open kind which see everything, were brimming over
with mischief. Once or twice she called out 'Mahnee,' and going to the
window, stood on tip-toe looking out, to see if she were coming. But on
the whole she seemed happy and content, exploring every nook and corner
of the kitchen and examining curiously every article of furniture as if
it were quite new to her.
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