“And you won’t tell me, any more, that we make other people bad,” coaxed Dora; “will you? Because you know it’s so dreadfully cross!”

“No, no,” said I.

“It’s better for me to be stupid than uncomfortable, isn’t it?” said Dora.

“Better to be naturally Dora than anything else in the world.”

“In the world! Ah, Doady, it’s a large place!”

She shook her head, turned her delighted bright eyes up to mine, kissed me, broke into a merry laugh, and sprang away to put on Jip’s new collar.