her head.
'Your mother is very kind woman,.' she said.
'Shame on you.'
'How dare you criticise me,.' hissed Christina. 'I suppose you think it's very amusing that we are to be paupers.'
'You do not know the meaning of being poor,. ' said Eva.
Christina opened her mouth to reply, but Agnes interrupted.
'Leave Eva alone, Chris,.' she said. 'It's not her fault mother didn't buy us a present.'
Just at that moment their mother reappeared. She had a curious knowing look on her face and Christina was sure she had been listening. She picked up the bundle and took the rest of the wrapping off.
Christina gazed pleadingly up at her mother and asked if she could see. Inside the gilt frame was an old studio portrait photograph. It was of a girl about her own age with dark hair and a Mona Lisa smile. What on earth had possessed her mother to buy such a thing?
'Would you be a dear, Eva,.' she said. 'And hang it for me? It can go over there in place of that dreary watercolour.' Christina remembered how her mother had bought that dreary watercolour at a similar auction the year before.
'Of course, madam.'
'Thank you, Eva.'
With that, their mother left to take her nap. Eva busied herself taking down the watercolour and replacing it with the photograph, walking away towards the kitchen when she was done. Agnes said she was going to finish a letter she was writing to their grandmother and disappeared upstairs.
Christina was left alone in the hallway feeling a seething rage against everyone in the household, when she heard a whispering coming from nearby. She looked about her, but there was no one. Then she realised the sound seemed to be coming from the photograph in the gilt frame.
'Over here,.' it said quite clearly.
Christina's heart skipped a beat and she backed away to the other side of the hall, bumping painfully into the table. The girl in the photograph giggled.
'You needn't be frightened,.' she said.
'W-w-what are you?' Christina stammered.
'I will be your friend,.' said the girl. 'If you'll let me.'
'My friend?' Christina frowned. 'What do you mean? You're a photograph and I must be dreaming or feverish or something.' She put her hand to her brow.
The girl in the photograph giggled.
'I have the power to grant you three wishes,.' said the girl. 'There must be something you would like.'
'I must be dreaming,.' murmured Christina, pinching herself. 'I must be.'
'What are you doing?' said a voice behind her, making her jump. It was Eva. The girl in the photograph was a mere photograph once more.
'I was not doing anything,.' snapped Christina. 'And in any case I can do as I like. This is my house.'
'This is your mother's house, I think,.' Eva said, smiling and walking back towards the kitchen.
'So?' said the girl in the photograph. 'Is there nothing you wish for?'
'I wish that stupid Eva would leave me alone!' hissed Christina.
As soon as she said the words she felt a curious sensation, as if there had been a sudden change in air pressure. She felt light-headed and put her hand on the banister to steady herself. She blinked a couple of times to focus, but saw that the photograph was static once more. She clicked her fingers in front of the girl's face, but nothing moved.
Christina laughed nervously to herself. Perhaps she was coming down with something, after all. Could she really have hallucinated the whole thing? She shook her head and blinked again. Already the idea of it being a trick of her mind was easier to believe than that a photograph had actually talked to her. She laughed again.
The family were having dinner some days later when the doorbell rang. The girls looked at each other in wonder. No one ever called at this hour. Their mother frowned and stood up, wringing her napkin nervously.
'Now whoever can that be?' she said.
Eva had answered the door and they could hear a muttered conversation going on in the hall. Mrs Webster left the room and after exchanging wide-eyed glances, the girls followed
'Your mother is very kind woman,.' she said.
'Shame on you.'
'How dare you criticise me,.' hissed Christina. 'I suppose you think it's very amusing that we are to be paupers.'
'You do not know the meaning of being poor,. ' said Eva.
Christina opened her mouth to reply, but Agnes interrupted.
'Leave Eva alone, Chris,.' she said. 'It's not her fault mother didn't buy us a present.'
Just at that moment their mother reappeared. She had a curious knowing look on her face and Christina was sure she had been listening. She picked up the bundle and took the rest of the wrapping off.
Christina gazed pleadingly up at her mother and asked if she could see. Inside the gilt frame was an old studio portrait photograph. It was of a girl about her own age with dark hair and a Mona Lisa smile. What on earth had possessed her mother to buy such a thing?
'Would you be a dear, Eva,.' she said. 'And hang it for me? It can go over there in place of that dreary watercolour.' Christina remembered how her mother had bought that dreary watercolour at a similar auction the year before.
'Of course, madam.'
'Thank you, Eva.'
With that, their mother left to take her nap. Eva busied herself taking down the watercolour and replacing it with the photograph, walking away towards the kitchen when she was done. Agnes said she was going to finish a letter she was writing to their grandmother and disappeared upstairs.
Christina was left alone in the hallway feeling a seething rage against everyone in the household, when she heard a whispering coming from nearby. She looked about her, but there was no one. Then she realised the sound seemed to be coming from the photograph in the gilt frame.
'Over here,.' it said quite clearly.
Christina's heart skipped a beat and she backed away to the other side of the hall, bumping painfully into the table. The girl in the photograph giggled.
'You needn't be frightened,.' she said.
'W-w-what are you?' Christina stammered.
'I will be your friend,.' said the girl. 'If you'll let me.'
'My friend?' Christina frowned. 'What do you mean? You're a photograph and I must be dreaming or feverish or something.' She put her hand to her brow.
The girl in the photograph giggled.
'I have the power to grant you three wishes,.' said the girl. 'There must be something you would like.'
'I must be dreaming,.' murmured Christina, pinching herself. 'I must be.'
'What are you doing?' said a voice behind her, making her jump. It was Eva. The girl in the photograph was a mere photograph once more.
'I was not doing anything,.' snapped Christina. 'And in any case I can do as I like. This is my house.'
'This is your mother's house, I think,.' Eva said, smiling and walking back towards the kitchen.
'So?' said the girl in the photograph. 'Is there nothing you wish for?'
'I wish that stupid Eva would leave me alone!' hissed Christina.
As soon as she said the words she felt a curious sensation, as if there had been a sudden change in air pressure. She felt light-headed and put her hand on the banister to steady herself. She blinked a couple of times to focus, but saw that the photograph was static once more. She clicked her fingers in front of the girl's face, but nothing moved.
Christina laughed nervously to herself. Perhaps she was coming down with something, after all. Could she really have hallucinated the whole thing? She shook her head and blinked again. Already the idea of it being a trick of her mind was easier to believe than that a photograph had actually talked to her. She laughed again.
The family were having dinner some days later when the doorbell rang. The girls looked at each other in wonder. No one ever called at this hour. Their mother frowned and stood up, wringing her napkin nervously.
'Now whoever can that be?' she said.
Eva had answered the door and they could hear a muttered conversation going on in the hall. Mrs Webster left the room and after exchanging wide-eyed glances, the girls followed
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