*[Frontispiece: "THE YOUNG CLERGYMAN CLIMBED CAREFULLY BUT QUICKLY DOWN TO THEM" (missing from book)]*
AUTHOR OF "NETA LYALL," "IN SMALL CORNERS," ETC.
London S. W. PARTRIDGE & CO. 8 & 9, PATERNOSTER ROW 1904
I. "I WISH CONRAD HAD NEVER LEFT HER WITH ME" II. "SUCH A *DEAR* LITTLE MONKEY!" III. "I'M MOVED UP!" IV. "I WISH YOU'D BE FRIENDS WITH ME" V. "I WANT YOU A MINUTE" VI. "HE WEREN'T CALLED 'SEIZE-'ER,' FOR NOTHIN'" VII. "THIS IS MONICA BEAUCHAMP, MOTHER" VIII. "MIND YOU ARE NOT LATE!" IX. "HAVE A RIDE, MONICA?" X. "I LIKE FUSSIN' OVER PEOPLE" XI. "A NICE ENOUGH LITTLE DOG, AS DOGS GO" XII. "A HUNGRY FEELING IN MY BRAIN" XIII. "A NICE SCRAPE SHE'LL GET INTO!" XIV. "SUNDAY AGAIN ALREADY!" XV. "OH, MONICA, DON'T!" XVI. "DO BE CAREFUL, GIRLS" XVII. "DON'T PERSUADE ME NOT TO, ANY MORE" XVIII. "I EXPECT IT WILL BE RATHER SLOW AND--POKEY!" XIX. "YOU TELL THEM, LOIS; I COULDN'T" XX. "KEEP IT UP, IT ANSWERS VERY WELL" XXI. "I GUESS I'LL JUST WATCH *YOU* A BIT" XXII. "I CANNOT SPARE YOU, MONICA!" XXIII. "IT'S ALL SURPRISES, NOWADAYS" XXIV. "I THINK MY MONICA DESERVES THE V.C." XXV. "THE CHILD HAS CHOSEN WELL"
"THE YOUNG CLERGYMAN CLIMBED CAREFULLY BUT QUICKLY DOWN TO THEM" (missing from book) . . . _Frontispiece_
"'AH, YOU MAY LAUGH; MEBBE 'TIS NOTHIN' BUT SPORT TO YOUNG LEDDIES LIKE YOU'"
"'OH, MISS FRANKLYN, I AM SO AWFULLY SORRY!'"
"'OH, ROGER! HOW IS SHE?' WHISPERED OLIVE"
*"I WISH CONRAD HAD NEVER LEFT HER WITH ME!"
*"Tell Miss Monica I wish her to come to me _at once_, Barnes."
The door closed silently after the retreating maid, and Mrs. Beauchamp sighed wearily. How often, lately, she had been obliged to send some such message to her wilful young granddaughter, and, how many more times would she have the same thing to do? Her aristocratic features wore a perturbed expression, as her slender fingers toyed mechanically with the many rings on her left hand; so great a responsibility was her only grandchild.
"I am sure I wish Conrad had never left her with me," she mused; "and yet there seemed no other solution of the difficulty when the regiment was ordered out to Simla. It was impossible, of course, to take her with him, and poor Helen was so opposed to boarding-schools. But it has certainly been a mistake having her here. Such an unruly, passionate nature as Monica's needs very careful handling, and not one of these governesses has had the tact to manage her. I'm sure I don't know what to do about her."