ng old woman, and before she retired,
grumbling at the child and shaking him, she favoured Cherry with such an
evil glance that the poor girl felt more than half inclined to turn and
run right away.

"That's my late wife's grandmother," explained the widower; "she is a
cross-grained old catamaran, and the reason she eyed you so unpleasantly
is that she knows I have brought you here to take her place. Make haste
and learn your work, Cherry, for I want to send the cross old dame about
her business," which was hardly a respectful way in which to speak of his
grandmother-in-law.

He took Cherry into the house, which was even more beautiful than the
garden; brilliant light, like sunshine, lighted up every room, flowers
grew everywhere, mirrors and pictures lined the walls, and as for the
ornaments, the carpets, curtains and other beautiful things, you could
never believe what their beauty was unless you could see them.

"It is all so grand," said Cherry to herself, "'tis too much to take in
all at once. It makes my head swim, and I'd like something to eat for a
change." She was really very, very hungry, for she had had nothing to eat
all day but a slice of bread and treacle.

Hardly had the thought come into her head, when Aunt Prudence,--as the old
grandmother was called,--began to lay a table with all kinds of delicious
food, to which she bade Cherry sit down and eat.

Cherry did not require a second bidding, you may be quite sure, nor did
she stop until she had made a very good meal indeed. After that she was
told her duties. She was to sleep in the room with the child, and in the
morning to take him and bathe him in a spring in the garden. After she
had bathed him she was to anoint his eyes with some ointment she would
find in a little box in a cleft in the rock. She was to be very careful
indeed to put the little box back where she took it from, and on no
account to touch her own eyes with it. After that was all done she was to
milk the cow, and give the child a basin of the last milk she drew.

You can imagine how all this raised Cherry's curiosity, and how she longed
to get the little boy to tell her about everything, but, as he always
threatened to tell Aunt Prudence, directly she asked him a question,
she thought it better to hold her tongue, and try to find out things for
herself.

When she had been told all her duties, she was conducted to her room by
the old lady, who bade her keep her eyes shut, wh