The other children could not help laughing at her now, and the four hurried off as fast as they possibly could to the dead-house.

This unpleasantly named abode was in reality a pretty little shed in one corner of the old garden.  It contained a door with lock and key, a nice little window, and everything fitted up for the keeping of tools and carpenters’ implements.  Long ago, however, the children decided that here the dead animals of all sorts and species were to be kept until the solemn moment of interment.

Iris looked just as grave as the others when she unlocked the door of the dead-house now, and they all entered.  The dead ’uns were decently laid out on a shelf, just in front of the public view.  There was a dead bee, and two butterflies; there were two dead worms and a dead toad; also three or four beetles in different stages of decomposition, and a terribly crushed spider—­and solemnly lying in the midst of his dead brethren lay Rub-a-Dub, the precious and dearly loved piebald mouse.

“They look beautiful, poor darlin’s,” said Diana; “they will most fill up the cemetery.  Now please, Iris, which is to have a public funeral?”

“Of course Rub-a-Dub must,” answered Iris.  “As to the others—­”

“Don’t you think that poor toad, Iris?” said Diana, wrinkling up her brows, and gazing anxiously at her sister.  “The toad seems to me to be rather big to have only a pwivate funeral.  We could scarcely get dock leaves enough.”

“We must try,” answered Iris; “the toad must be buried privately with the others.  We always make it a rule—­don’t you remember, Di—­only to give public funerals to our own special pets.”

“All wight,” answered Diana.  She was very easily brought round to accept Iris’ view.  In her heart of hearts she considered Iris’ verdict like the laws of the Medes and Persians—­something which could not possibly be disputed.

“Run, Orion!” she said; “be quick, and fetch as many dock leaves as possible.  I will thread a needle so as to sew up the poor dead ’uns in their coffins.  We must get through the pwivate funerals as quick as possible this morning, and then we’ll be weady for poor Rub-a-Dub.”

“Rub-a-Dub is to be buried exactly at eleven o’clock,” said Iris.

“We’ll all wear mourning, course?” asked Diana.

“Yes; black bows.”

“And are the dogs and the other animals to wear mourning?”

“Black bows,” repeated Iris.

“That is most lovely and ’citing,” said Diana.

Orion left the dead-house, and presently returned with a great pile of dock leaves.  Then the children sat down on the floor and began to sew coffins for the different dead ’uns.  They were accustomed to the work and did it expeditiously and well.  When all the poor dead ’uns were supplied with coffins they were carried in a tray across the garden to the far-famed cemetery.  Here they were laid in that part of the ground apportioned to private