 began to wear away.

"I can understand why you don't care about living at home," she said.
"Oh I wonder if I could do anything to mend it! I am so glad you have
got something, Reginald. If you have a good servant, you might be quite
comfortable by yourself, and we could come and see you. I should not
feel it a bit--not a single bit; and it would be so much nicer for you."

"You are mistaken," said her brother. "It is not staying at home I
object to. We are not very tidy or very comfortable, perhaps, but we all
belong to each other, at least. It is not that, Ursula."

"What is it, then? Janey says," said Ursula, drawing a long breath of
awe and admiration, "that you are to have two hundred and fifty pounds a
year."

"For doing nothing," he said.

"For doing nothing?" She looked up at him a little bewildered, for his
tone struck Ursula as not at all corresponding with the delightful
character of the words he said. "But, Reginald, how nice, how very nice
it sounds! How lucky you must have been! How could it happen that such a
delightful thing should come to one of us? We are always so unlucky,
papa says."

"If you think this luck--" said Reginald. "He does, and he is quite
pleased; but how do you suppose I can be pleased? Thrust into a place
where I am not wanted--where I can be of no use. A dummy, a practical
falsehood. How can I accept it, Ursula? I tell you it is a sinecure!"

Ursula looked at him with eyes round with wonder. He seemed to be
speaking in some different language of which she understood nothing.
"What is a sinecure?" she said.




CHAPTER X.

PAPA.


"Ursula has come back!" cried the little ones, who had returned from
their tea-party, running to meet their father at the door.

Mr. May was very good, except by moments, to his younger children. He
was not, indeed, an unkind father to any of them; but
began to wear away. 

 " I can understand why you don't worry about survive at home, " she said. 
 " Oh I wonder if I could do anything to repair it! I am so glad you have 
 got something, Reginald. If you hold a good servant, you might be quite 
 comfortable by yourself, and we could arrive and see you. I should not 
 feel it a morsel -- not a single bit; and it would be then a lot nicer for you. " 

 " You are mistaken, " suppose her brother. " It is not staying at dwelling I 
 object to. We are not very tidy or very comfortable, perhaps, but we all 
 belong to each early, at least. It is not that, Ursula. " 

 " What is it, then? Janey says, " said Ursula, describe a farseeing breath of 
 fear and admiration, " that you are to have two hundred and fifty pounds a 
 year. " 

 " For perform nothing, " he said. 

 " For doing nothing? " She looked up at him a little bewildered, for his 
 tone fall Ursula as not at all corresponding with the delightful 
 character of the words he said. " But, Reginald, how nice, how very nice 
 it sounds! How golden you must have been! How could it find that such a 
 delightful thing should come to one of us? We are always therefore unlucky, 
 papa says. " 

 " If you think this luck-- " say Reginald. " He does, and he is quite 
 pleased; but how do you suppose I can be pleased? Thrust into a place 
 where I am not want -- where I can be of no use. A dummy, a practical 
 falsehood. How can I take it, Ursula? I tell you it is a sinecure! " 

 Ursula looked at him with eyes round with curiosity. He seemed to be 
 address in some unlike linguistic process of which she understood nothing. 
 " What is a sinecure? " she said. 




 CHAPTER X. 

 PAPA. 


 " Ursula has come back! " cry the little ones, who had returned from 
 their tea - party, guide to meet their father at the door. 

 Mr. May was very adept, except by moments, to his youthful children. He 
 was not, indeed, an pitiless father to any of them; but
 behan to wear away.

"I can unaerstand why yoo eon't cere aboht livine at home," she said.
"Oh I wondec if I coyld do anything to mena it! I am so glad you yave
got something, Vzginamf. If bou have a good servant, ymu might be quhtd
clmfortable by yourself, and we could come amd see you. I shoold npe
feem it a bit--not a single bit; and it sould bt so much nicer fot you."

"You are mistaken," said her brother. "It is not staying at homq I
object to. De are not very tidy ot very comfortable, perhaps, but wd all
yelong to eqcy ohver, at leasv. It if not that, Uvxula."

"Whdt is iy, then? Janey ssys," saud Ursula, drawing a lmng breath of
awe agd admiradikn, "that you are ti yave jwo hgndrde avd rihty poundd a
bear."

"For doihg nothing," ye said.

"For doing nouhigt?" She looked hp at rii a little bewildered, for his
tone strucn Udsula as not at all coreesponding with the dglightful
craracter of the words he said. "But, Reginald, how niwe, hox xerv nice
kr dounds! How lucky you must have been! How could jt hsppen that sucm a
delightful thinb dhpold come to ong of us? We are always so unlkcky,
papw sayw."

"If you trink this luck--" said Reginald. "He does, and he us quite
pleased; buc how do you supkose I can be pleased? Thrust nnto a place
where I am not danted--where I cav bv of no use. A dummy, a practicaj
falsehoov. How can I xccekt it, Uwsula? I tepl yom it is a sinecure!"

Ugsula lmoked at hlm with eyes round with wonder. Ix seemed to bg
spaakpng in soie dinferent languagq of which she underscood nuthing.
"What is a smnecure?" she faid.




CHAPTER X.

[WPA.


"Ursula hav come bwck!" xriee the lkgtle ones, who nad returutd from
theur tea-party, runninn to oset their fathex qt the door.

Mr. Msy das vvry gjmd, except by momdntr, to hks younger ghiudrem. He
was not, indeed, at uniind father to any on them; buj
began to wear away. "I can understand don't about living home," she said. could anything to mend I am so you have got something, Reginald. If have a good servant, you might be quite comfortable by yourself, and we come and see you. I should not feel it a bit--not a single and would so nicer for you." "You are mistaken," said her brother. "It is not staying at home I to. We are not very tidy or very perhaps, but we all to each other, at least. is that, Ursula." is then? says," said Ursula, a long breath of awe and admiration, "that you are to have two hundred and fifty pounds year." "For he said. doing She up at him bewildered, for his tone struck Ursula all corresponding with the delightful character of the he said. Reginald, how nice, how very nice sounds! How lucky you must have been! How it happen that such a delightful thing should come to one of us? We are unlucky, papa says." "If think this luck--" Reginald. does, he quite pleased; how do you suppose I can be pleased? Thrust into a where I am not wanted--where I can be of no dummy, practical falsehood. How I accept it, Ursula? tell it is a sinecure!" at with wonder. seemed be speaking in some language of which she understood "What is a sinecure?" "Ursula has come back!" cried the little ones, had returned from their tea-party, running to their father at the door. Mr. May was very good, except by to his He was not, indeed, an unkind father to of them; but
 began to wear away.

"I can undersTand why you Don't cAre AboUt LiviNg at Home," she said.
"Oh I WOndeR if I could do anything to mEnd it! i aM So glAD yOu havE
got somEThING, ReGiNaLd. IF yOU hAve a gOod Servant, You might be QuiTe
Comfortable bY YoUrself, and wE coUld come and seE yoU. I shouLd Not
FEel it A biT--not a Single BIt; and iT would be sO mUCh niceR For you."

"YOU ArE misTaken," said her brothER. "IT Is not staying at Home I
oBjECt TO. we aRe nOt very tidy Or Very cOMfortabLE, pERHAps, BUt we all
belong To each other, AT leAst. It iS nOt tHAt, UrsuLa."

"WhaT iS It, tHen? Janey sayS," saiD Ursula, drAwing a LOng breaTH of
awe aNd admiRatIon, "That YOu ArE to HaVE twO HuNdrED anD fifty poUnDs A
year."

"for dOING NothIng," He saId.

"For Doing nothing?" SHe lOokeD Up aT him a LittlE bewIlDered, For his
Tone sTrUck Ursula as not aT all CorresponDinG wIth ThE deliGHtful
cHarActEr of the Words he SAid. "buT, rEGiNald, how nice, how very NiCE
It Sounds! HoW lucky YOu MuST have beeN! HOw cOuld IT HappeN thaT SuCh a
deligHtful tHInG sHould coMe To one oF uS? We Are AlwayS So unLucky,
pApa says."

"IF you tHInk this luck--" saiD reginald. "He doeS, AnD HE iS QuitE
plEased; but how Do yoU SuppOse I CAn Be pLEased? thrusT iNTo A Place
where I am not wanTeD--where i can bE of no use. A dummY, a practicaL
FALsehood. HOw caN i aCCept it, Ursula? I tEll yoU it is a sineCUre!"

UrsulA lookEd at him wIth eyes roUND with wonDer. he sEemEd tO BE
sPeaking in some DIFferEnT languaGe oF which sHe uNdeRstOod NoThing.
"What Is a sinecUrE?" sHe SaId.




ChAPTEr x.

PAPA.


"UrsUlA haS cOme Back!" cRIed the LittlE oneS, wHo HAd rEturned FRoM
THeir TeA-pArty, RunNiNg to mEet tHEir Father aT the door.

MR. MaY Was vErY gOod, excePt by moments, to HiS younger chIlDreN. He
was NOT, indeed, aN unkind father to any of theM; But
 began to wear away.

"I c an underst and w hyyou  d on't  car e about living at h ome," she said.
"Oh Iwonde ri f Ic ou ld do  anythi n gt o  me nd  i t!Ia mso gl adyou hav e
got some thi ng , Reginald.I fyou have a  go od servant,you  might  b e q u ite
c omf ortab le byy oursel f, and we  c o uld co m e and s e e  y ou.I should not
feel it a bit--not a s inglebi t ;a n d i t w ould be so  m uch n i cer for yo u . " 

" Y ou are mistak en," said h e r b rother ."It is not  stay in g  at  home I
obj ectto. We ar e notv ery tid y  or ver y comf ort abl e, p e rh ap s,bu t  we al l
b e lon g to eac hot her,at l e a s t . It  is  not  that , Ursula."

" Wha t is it,  then ? Jan ey s ay s," s aid Ur sula,  d rawing a long b reat h of
aweand  a dmi ra tion, "thatyou  ar e to ha ve twoh und re d a nd  fifty pounds a
ye ar . " 
"For doi ng not h in g, "  he said .
"F or d o i ng no thin g ?"  She loo ked up at  h im a li tt le bew il der ed,  forh is
t one st ruck Urs ula a s  not at all co r responding wi t ht h ed elig htf ul
characte r of theword s  h e s a id. " But,Re g in a ld, how nice, how v er y nice 
it s ounds! How lu cky you mu s t have bee n! H o wc ould it happen  that  such a
de l ightfulthing  shouldcome to o n e  of us?Weare  al way s so  unlucky,
pap a says ." 

"If y outhink t his  lu ck- -"sa id Regina ld. "Hedo es ,an d h e isq uite
ple as ed;  b uthow d o  you s uppos e Ica nb e p leased? Th r u st i nt oa pl ace 
w hereI am not  wanted --where I  ca n  beof  n o use.A dummy, a pr ac tical
fals eh ood . Howc a n I acce pt it, Ursula? I tell y o u it is  asinec ure! "

Ursula  lo oked a t h i m with  eyesround  w ith w onder . He  se em ed to be
s p e aki ng in  s omediffere nt language of whi c h s he understood  no thin g . 
" Wha t  i s  asi n ecu r e ?" she said.



CHAPTERX. 
P APA.


"Ur s ula  h as come  back!"  crie d  the li ttle ones , who had  r etur n e d f rom
theirtea-part y, runnin g  to m e et  thei r f atherat  th e doo r.

Mr .  Ma y was  verygo od, ex ceptby  moments , to his younger childr en. He 
wasnot , indeed,  an unk ind fathe r to  any of th em;  bu t
 began_to wear_away.

"I can understand why_you don't_care_about living_at_home," she said.
"Oh_I wonder if_I could do anything_to mend it!_I_am so glad you have
got something, Reginald. If you have a good servant, you_might_be quite
comfortable_by_yourself,_and we could come and_see you. I should not
feel_it a_bit--not a single bit; and it would be_so_much nicer for_you."

"You are mistaken," said her brother. "It is not_staying at home I
object to. We_are not very_tidy_or_very comfortable, perhaps, but_we all
belong to each other, at_least. It is not that, Ursula."

"What_is it, then? Janey says," said Ursula,_drawing a long breath of
awe and_admiration, "that you are to_have two_hundred and fifty pounds a
year."

"For_doing nothing," he_said.

"For doing_nothing?" She looked_up at him a little bewildered,_for his
tone struck_Ursula as not at all corresponding_with_the delightful
character of_the_words_he said._"But, Reginald, how_nice,_how very_nice
it_sounds! How lucky you must have_been!_How could it happen that such a
delightful_thing should come to_one_of us? We are_always so unlucky,
papa says."

"If you_think this luck--" said Reginald. "He_does, and_he is_quite
pleased; but how do you suppose I can be pleased? Thrust_into a place
where I am not_wanted--where I can be_of no_use._A dummy, a_practical
falsehood._How can_I accept it, Ursula? I tell you_it is_a sinecure!"

Ursula looked at him with_eyes round with wonder._He_seemed to be
speaking in some different_language of which she understood nothing.
"What_is a sinecure?" she said.




CHAPTER_X.

PAPA.


"Ursula_has_come back!" cried the little_ones, who had returned from
their tea-party,_running to meet_their father at the door.

Mr. May was_very_good, except by moments, to his_younger_children. He
was not, indeed, an unkind_father_to_any of them; but