"But tell me one thing, my dear, wouldn't you like to see all your presents early in the morning, like mine ?" Still smarting under the recollection of her interview with her son-in-law, Mrs.Presty had certain ends to gain in putting this idea into the child's head.

It was her special object to raise domestic obstacles to a private interview between the husband and wife during the earlier hours of the day.

If the gifts, usually presented after the nursery dinner, were produced on this occasion after breakfast, there would be a period of delay before any confidential conversation could take place between Mr.and Mrs.Linley.In this interval Mrs.Presty saw her opportunity of setting Linley's authority at defiance, by rousing the first jealous suspicion in the mind of his wife.
Innocent little Kitty became her grandmother's accomplice on the spot.
"I shall ask mamma to let me have my presents at breakfast-time," she announced.
"And kind mamma will say Yes," Mrs.Presty chimed in.

"We will breakfast early, my precious child.

Good-night." Kitty was half asleep when her governess entered the room afterward, much later than usual.