ANXIOUS AUDREY

By

MABEL QUILLER-COUCH.

AUTHOR OF “A WAIF AND A WELCOME”, “TROUBLESOME URSULA,”

“ZACH AND DEBBY,” “IN CORNWALL’S WONDERLAND,” ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY HELEN JACOBS.

Transcriber’s note:Helen Jacobs was the sister of author W.W. Jacobs.

1915

This etext prepared from a version published in 1915.

LONDON: SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE

Northumberland Avenue, W.C.

BRIGHTON: 129, North Street.

CHAPTER LINKS

CHAPTER I.

“Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home,
The field-mouse has gone to her nest;
The daisies have shut up their sleepy red eyes,
And the birds and the bees are at rest.”

Mr. Carlyle, standing outside the nursery door, stayed a moment until the sweet low voice had reached the end of the verse, then, turning the handle very gently, entered the room on tiptoe.

Faith looked up with a smile, but with a warning finger held out, while in a lower and more crooning voice she began the next verse:

“Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home,
The glow-worm is lighting her lamp——”

“Oh, dear!” as two round blue eyes looked up at her, full of sleepy wickedness, “She is as wide awake when I began! Baby, you are not a nice little girl and I shan’t be able to go on loving you if you don’t go to sleep soon.”