"No, I won`t," said Pierre, pushing Anatole aside, and he went up to the window.

"Why don`t you play?" he asked.

‘Infant humbug, sir,’ replied Mr Folair. ‘There isn’t a female child of common sharpness in a charity school, that couldn’t do better than that. She may thank her stars she was born a manager’s daughter.’

The effect was almost as brief as sudden. Ralph was the first to recover himself, and observing Madeline’s looks of alarm, entreated the poor girl to be composed, assuring her that there was no cause for fear.