"I don't want a governess," said Mary sharply.

"But mother says you ought to be learnin' your
book by this time an' you ought to have a woman
to look after you, an' she says: 'Now, Martha,
you just think how you'd feel yourself, in a big
place like that, wanderin' about all alone, an' no
mother. You do your best to cheer her up,' she
says, an' I said I would."

Mary gave her a long, steady look.

"You do cheer me up," she said. "I like to
hear you talk."

Presently Martha went out of the room and
came back with something held in her hands under
her apron.

"What does tha' think," she said, with a cheerful
grin. "I've brought thee a present."

"A present!" exclaimed Mistress Mary.
How could a cottage full of fourteen hungry
people give any one a present!

"A man was drivin' across the moor peddlin',"
Martha explained. "An' he stopped his cart at
our door. He had pots an' pans an' odds an'
ends, but mother had no money to buy anythin'.
Just as he was goin' away our 'Lizabeth Ellen
called out, 'Mother, he's got skippin'-ropes with
red an' blue handles.' An' mother she calls out
quite sudden, 'Here, stop, mister! How much
are they?' An' he says 'Tuppence,' an' mother

[[89]]

p088 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p089w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p090

v?