84 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



and ponies and Tom-boy nonsense : a girl of your age 

 should see the wisdom of what I say." 



" Tribhy won't want much of your help," said our 

 mother, in her pleasant and most motherly way ; " she 

 managed very well indeed while you were from home, 

 and I know she has for long been taking a number of 

 your minor duties, Nye." 



" Oh, trifles ! " said Nye, with a sniff. 



Tribby might have mentioned a great many " trifles " 

 which had cost her some tears and frequent headaches, 

 but it was not Tribby's way to assert herself, so she 

 said nothing ; and after various details had been 

 arranged and general directions issued, Nye handed 

 the key-basket to Tribulation, who took it with a pro- 

 testing jerk. 



For twenty-four hours that impending key-basket 

 cast a cloud upon Wildie's high spirits ; but at the end 

 of that time she determined to forget it until forced by 

 fate and the home rulers to undertake its responsi- 

 bilities. She would have been wiser had she prepared 

 herself for the duties of her coming office by careful 

 observation of the way in which Tribby performed 

 those duties. But, alas ! the present was always so 

 full of fresh sweetness for Wildie that she never 

 desired to burden it with the cares of to-morrow ; con- 

 sequently, she avoided even an allusion to the coming 

 time. One day her pet brother roused her wrath con- 

 siderably, by some ill-timed jest about the sort of 

 dinner he was likely to get a week hence. But that, 

 too, was turned aside and forgotten. 



