guitar; and on the other, a little leather wallet that she had
unstrapped. Apparently she had been having a nap on this warm
afternoon, for she was smoothing down her black hair.

'I beg your pardon, Miss,' she said, with very great respect, but with
a sort of timidly friendly look in her eyes, 'but I have often seen you
as you was walking along the downs; and many's the time I have wished
to have a word with you, if there was nobody by. Yes, and many's the
time I have thought about you.'

Nan Beresford hesitated for a second whether she should stay or not.
But she knew this young woman very well by sight; and her appearance
and manner were alike extremely prepossessing. Nan had heard her sing,
but never speak; and she was surprised by the correct way in which she
spoke; she had scarcely anything of the Sussex intonation.

'Yes,' said Singing Sal, looking up at the young lady, 'many's the time
that I have thought I should like to tell you what I've been thinking
about you, as I saw you go by. I've often been thinking that if one
could only see into it, the mind of a young lady like you--brought up
like you in the middle of nothing but kindness and goodness--why, it
must be the most beautiful thing in the world. Just like that out
there--clear and silver-like.'

She nodded in the direction of the sea--where the pale blue plain was
touched here and there with silver and golden reflections. Nan was
embarrassed; nevertheless she remained. There was something winning
about the fresh-coloured, frank-eyed lass.

'And I think I have seen a little bit into your mind, Miss,' said she,
with a smile. 'Would you look at this--if I may make so bold?'

There was a bit of red silk round her neck, and attached to it was a
florin. She held up the perforated coin, and glanced at the face of
the young girl. Nan Beresford blushed.

'You remember, Miss? That was the night as I was singing in front of
the Old Ship, though what I did that for I don't know; I prefer my own
friends and my own haunts. But do you know what I said to myself when
I got to my lodgings that night? I said, "What was the young lady
thinking of when she gave you that florin? It wasn't an accident; for
she took it carefully out of her purse. And it wasn't because she
thought you were starving; for you don't look like that. No, she gave
it to you that you might think it enough for one night's earnings, and
go away home, and not be stared at any long