Page:Story of the robins.djvu/116

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102
The Story of the Robins.

was the case, as Mrs. Benson plainly perceived, for the lady made no answer, and looked very cross.

Harriet was curious to examine the variety of animals which Mrs. Addis had collected together; but as her mamma never suffered her to run about when she accompanied her to other people's houses, she sat down, only glancing her eye first to one part of the room and then to the other, as her attention was successively attracted.

As Mrs. Benson requested to see Miss Addis, her mamma could not refuse sending for her; she therefore rang the bell, and ordered that Augusta might come down to her. The footman, who had never before received such a command (for Mrs. Addis only saw the child in the nursery), stared with astonishment, and thought he had misunderstood it. However, on his lady repeating her words, he went up-stairs to tell the nursery-maid the child was to be taken to the drawing-room. "What new fancy is this?" said she; "who would ever have thought of her wanting the child in the drawing-room? I have no stockings clean for her, nor a frock to put on but what is ragged. I wish she would spend less money on her cats and dogs and monkeys, and then her child would appear as she ought to do." "I won't go down-stairs, Nanny," said the child. "But