I'll let
you take Clorinda again, and she shall be your child," she stood up on
tiptoe to say.
"Can't," said the girl, making a desperate effort to twitch away. "Lemme
go."
"No, you cannot go until you have told me who you are, and how you know my
little sister."
Rag looked into the brown eyes of the little girl not so much older, drew a
long breath, then burst out, "She's visited me to my house," and, putting
on the most defiant expression possible, stood quite still.
_"Visited you at your house!"_ echoed Polly. She nearly dropped the
ragged sleeve.
"Yes, an' I give her a five-o'clock tea," said Rag proudly. "Any harm in
that? An' I brung her home again, and she ain't hurt a bit. You lemme go,
you girl, you!"
"You must come and see Grandpapa," said Polly firmly, a little white line
around her mouth.
"I ain't a-goin'." Rag showed instant fight against any such idea.
"Then, if you don't," said Polly, gripping her arm, "I shall call the
gardeners, and they will bring you up to the house."
"Oh, do come," cried Phronsie, who thought everything most delightfully
conspiring to make her friend remain. "Dear Grandpapa will love you, little
girl; come with Polly and me."
She took hold of her other arm, and Rag, seeing no way out of it and wholly
bewildered, suffered herself to be led up to the grand mansion.
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