Page:The Story of the Treasure Seekers.djvu/227

Rh I suppose it is their nature, and we ought to be sorry for their affliction.

"It's no good," Dora was saying, "you all hate me, and you think I'm a prig and a busybody, but I do try to do right&mdash;oh, I do! Oswald, go away; don't come here making fun of me!"

So I said, "I'm not making fun, Sissy; don't cry, old girl."

Mother taught me to call her Sissy when we were very little and before the others came, but I don't often somehow, now we are old. I patted her on the back, and she put her head against my sleeve, holding on to Alice all the time, and she went on. She was in that laughy-cryey state when people say things they wouldn't say at other times.

"Oh dear, oh dear&mdash;I do try, I do. And when Mother died she said, 'Dora, take care of the others, and teach them to be good, and keep them out of trouble and make them happy.' She said, 'Take care of them for me, Dora dear.' And I have tried, and all of you hate me for it; and to-day I let you do this, though I knew all the time it was silly."

I hope you will not think I was a muff, but