Mrs. Montgomery had many funny stories to tell of Dora. She was now seven years old, but her mother told Hilda of things that had happened when she was four. One of them amused Hilda very much.

'She was standing one day,' her mother said, 'in a room all by herself opposite to a looking-glass, when I suddenly opened the door and went in. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, "I was just thinking that I rather like the look of me."'

Hilda often said how much she would like to see her little sister again. It was now the end of her fourth schoolyear: the school-year at Madame Rivière's ended in July, and Hilda had also first come to school in that month.

She had now gained five prizes in all: none the first year; one the second, for general English; two the third, for general English and geography; and the fourth year she carried off the conduct, besides one of the lesson prizes.

The rewards were beautiful large red books, on which her name was engraved.

Most of the time that her parents were in Europe Hilda had holidays, for in the summer at Madame Rivière's these lasted for two months; and as Hilda had not seen her mother for so long, hers were prolonged till they went back. These holidays, she told them, quite made up for those that she had spent at school.

'I should so like to see Grenada again,' she said one evening to her mother. 'I used to think that I loved it for the people in it,—for we had some nice friends, hadn't we?' Hilda was not talking of the natives now;-‘but I love Grenada for itself now, it is so pretty, isn't it? and I think it is such a dear, brave little island.'

'Have you not forgotten it, Hilda?'

'No, I haven't, really.'

Hilda had a very good memory.

'And why do you call it a brave little island?' asked her mother.

'Because it has had such troubles, and goes on trying.'

'What do you know of its troubles?'

'A good deal, mother. Madame Rivière lent me a book to read about the West Indies, and this book told me that Grenada was discovered by Christopher Columbus in his third voyage, in 1498; that a horrible French governor of Martinique, called Du Parquet, came with 200 men to take possession of the island in 1650, and gave the fierce Caribs, who lived there, presents to make them like them, and then they killed them. I remember quite well hearing the name of "Leaper's Hill" when I was in Grenada. That was where the poor Caribs jumped into the sea to get away from those horrid men. And then,' Hilda went on, 'St. George was burnt in 1771. I learnt all the dates,' she continued, smiling, 'because it was about Grenada. Then it was built up once more, and burnt again in 1775; and though it was not all burnt the next time, there was another fire in 1792, which burnt a great part of the town. I should think some one must have been very careless with a candle, shouldn't you, mother?'

Hilda was still very childish in many ways.

'Then some sugar-ants came and destroyed the sugar in 1770; mustn't that have been a dreadful loss? And there was a hurricane in 1780; but this took the ants away, so it did good as well as harm, and I should think the planters were rather glad.'

Hilda now took a deep breath, and brought a little pocketbook out of her pocket.

'I've forgotten the next date,' she said, 'and I put down in my pocket-book all the dates about Grenada in case I forgot them, because I wanted to remember all I could

about Grenada, as my home's there, and father's property,

and everything.'

'There was an earthquake in 1766, and yellow fever killed ever so many people in 1794.'

Hilda then put her pocket-book away, because she remembered all the rest.

'Do you know to whom Grenada first belonged?' asked her mother.

The French. Then we took it in 1762; it was settled on us in 1763, then the French retook it in 1779, and restored it to us in 1783, and now I should think we should always keep it,' said Hilda. But, mother, it was so strange to read about the port from which Nana and I started. It said it was a coal-depot and a station for British West India mail steamers. Oh, mother, I do so wish Nenus could hear all about this; when you go back will you please tell him?'

'All I can remember, Hilda; but you have told me so much.'

'I'm very glad I've remembered most of it. I took such a trouble to learn it, mother. I thought you and father would like me to know all about my own home.'

'So we do, my darling, and to remember and love your home.'

D

DORA.

JURING the next two years Hilda grew very much, and at fifteen she was tall for her age. She had been prepared for confirmation by Mr. Stacey, and confirmed six months ago in the English church. She was in one of the high forms at school. Once more she seemed to be a universal favourite. Even Mathilde seemed to have been quite won over by her very gentle conduct of late towards her.

Mademoiselle L'Herbier now often wrote letters to her old pupil about her child that pleased her very much.

Hilda was looking well, she said, Hilda was studying very hard, Hilda was very happy and good, and still a great romp in recreation-hours. Yes, though Hilda was fond of her lessons, she loved play as much as any girl in the school, and she was all the better for loving it so well.

She was very proud of having at last learnt to skip quite as cleverly even as Clochette.

As she was fifteen, Dora was eight, and Nana was now on her way to France with the latter, bringing her to school, as six years ago she had brought Hilda.

The doctor had decided that the child would not be strong unless she were sent to Europe soon.

Dear little Dora! How Hilda longed to see her little sister again! how she wondered what she could be like after all these years!

She could only half remember the funny little girl who had asked her if she were 'quite tooly' going to school, and now she was quite truly coming herself. The girls said, too, that they were anxious to see Dora, and wondered if she would be like Hilda; but this Hilda told them she could not be, as she had dark hair, and her mother had told her that Dora's was fair. And Nana! Hilda had actually not seen her since she had left her at school six years ago.

It is a great happiness to look forward to seeing somebody whom we love and have not met for a very long time, and Hilda enjoyed this great happiness now.

'You know,' she had said several times to old Turc, who was really growing old now, for he was not a young dog when Hilda first knew him, 'my little sister is coming to school, and she will love you quite as much as I do, for she loves dogs dearly, and I have often written to tell her about you.'

Old Turc, as he walked along beside Hilda, looked up into her face very knowir gly, as though he quite understood what. she said. Hilda had still many conversations with the dog, and to these he paid such polite attention that many of the girls declared they really believed he did understand what she said.

'And she'll tell you about Jack,' she went on; ‘I want to hear about him again; but my poor little pony, Pepper, is dead; isn't that a pity?'

Turc's tail wagged, Hilda thought in sympathy.

The two were in the garden together. This was where Hilda generally poured forth her confidences to Turc. Dolly now ran up to her.

'Mademoiselle L'Herbier sent me for you, Hilda,' she said, ‘and you are to go to her at once in the ante-chamber.'