"Ah! surely _this_ will please dear papa!" she exclaimed,
half aloud. "How good Aunt Adelaide was to sit here with me!"
Then, putting it carefully in its place, she closed and locked the
desk, and carrying the key to her room, laid it on the mantel,
where she was in the habit of keeping it.
Now it so happened that afternoon that Arthur, who had made
himself sick by over-indulgence in sweetmeats, and had in
consequence been lounging about the house doing nothing for the
last day or two, remained at home while all the rest of the family
were out, walking, riding, or visiting.
He was not usually very fond of reading, but while lying on the
lounge in the nursery, very much in want of some amusement, it
suddenly occurred to him that he would like to look at a book he
had seen Elsie reading that morning.
To be sure the book belonged to her, and she was not there to be
consulted as to her willingness to lend it; but that made no
difference to Arthur, who had very little respect for the rights
of property, excepting where his own were concerned.
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