THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 39

Having thus mused within herself, Mary took the puppet
once more in her arms, drew near the cupboard, knocked
at the glass door, which Fritz had closed, and said to the
new doll, “I beg of you; Miss Clara, to give wp your bed to
my poor Nut-cracker, who is unwell,.and to shift: for your-
self on the sofa to-night.

Remember that you are in
excellent health yourself,
as your round and rosy
cheeks sufficiently prove.
Moreover, a night is soon
passed; the sofa is very
comfortable; and there will
not be many dolls in Nu- |
remberg as well lodged as |
yourself.”

Miss Clara, as you.may
very well suppose, did not
utter a word; butit struck |]
Mary that she seemed very
sulky and discontented;
but Mary, whose conscience
told her that she had
treated Miss Clara in the most: considerate manner, used no
farther ceremony with hezj.
but, drawing the bed to-
wards her, placed the Nut-
cracker in it; covering him
with the clothes up to the
very chin: shethen thought
that she knew*nothing as
yet ofthe real disposition
S of Miss Clara, whom she
Shad only seen for a few
© hours; but that as Miss
Clara had appeared to be