Mary Erskine

Malleville and her cousin Phonny generally played together at Franconia a great part of the day, and at night they slept in two separate recesses which opened out of the same room. These recesses were deep and large, and they were divided from the room by curtains, so that they formed as it were separate chambers: and yet the children could speak to each other from them in the morning before they got up, since the curtains did not intercept the sound of their voices. They might have talked in the same manner at night, after they had gone to bed, but this was against Mrs. Henry's rules. One morning Malleville, after lying awake a few minutes, listening to the birds that were singing in the yard, and wish-ing that the window was open so that she could hear them more distinctly, heard Phonny's voice calling to her. "Malleville," said he, "are you awake?" "Yes," said Malleville, "are you?" "Yes," said Phonny, "I'm awake-but what a cold morning it is!"