“It would be folly to take the least notice of her remarks,” thought the governess.  “I’ll just go on treating her like the others.  I expect I shall have a good deal of work breaking in that interesting little quartette, for, after all, if my salary is to be raised, I may as well stay at the Rectory as anywhere else.  The house is comfortable, and I have got used to Mrs. Dolman’s queer ways by this time.”

Accordingly Miss Ramsay reseated herself, and again took up her novel.  She turned the leaves, and soon got into a most interesting part of the volume.  Lost in the sorrows of her hero and heroine, she forgot all about Diana Delaney and her bow and arrow.

Meanwhile, Diana, walking rapidly away by herself, was reflecting hard.

“Miss Wamsay’s a poor sort,” she thought.  “I aren’t going to twouble ’bout anyone like her, but I must get that arrow made.  The bow is beautiful, but I can’t do nothing ’cos I hasn’t got an arrow.”

At this moment, to her great delight, she saw Apollo coming to meet her.

“There you is!” she shouted.

“What do you want with me?” asked Apollo.

“Look at my bow, ’Pollo!  Aren’t it beautiful?  Aren’t I just like the weal Diana now?”

“Did you make this bow all by yourself?” asked Apollo.

“Yes; why shouldn’t I?”

“Well, it’s awfully crooked.”

“Is it?” said Diana; “I thought it was beautiful.  Can you stwaighten it for me a little bit, ’Pollo?”

“I think I can make you a better bow than this,” answered Apollo.

“Oh, can you?  What a darlin’ you is!  And will you cut an arrow for me, and will you make it very sharp?  Will you make it awfu’ sharp?  The kind that would pwick deep, you know, that would cut into things and be like the arrow that the gweat Diana used.”

Apollo was finding his afternoon somewhat dull.  He had made no friends as yet with the little Dolman children.  Orion had disappeared with both the boys; Iris was with Ann, Lucy, and Mary; he had been thrown for the last hour completely on his own resources.  The sight, therefore, of Diana, with her flushed face and bright eyes and spirited manner, quite cheered the little fellow.  He and Diana had often been chums, and he thought it would be rather nice to be chummy with his little sister to-day.

“I may as well help you,” he said, “but, of course, Di, you can’t expect me to do this sort of thing often.  I shall most likely be very soon going to school, and then I’ll be with fellows, you know.”

“What’s fellows?” asked Diana.

“Oh, boys!  Of course, when I get with boys, you can’t expect me to be much with you.”

“All wight,” answered Diana.  “I hope you won’t get with no fellows this afternoon, ’cos you is useful to me.  Just sit down where you is, and help me to make a bow and arrow.”

Apollo instantly seated himself on the grass, and Diana threw herself on her face and hands by his side.  She raised herself on her elbows and fixed her bright black eyes on her brother’s face.  She stared very hard at him, and he stared back at her.