e nobody
again?"

Matilda nodded.

"I'll go too," said Norton, "and find out what it all means. Give me
the book, and I'll carry it."

"But, Norton!" said Matilda, holding the Bible fast, "I would like to
have you, but I am afraid you wouldn't like it."

"Like what, Pink? The Bible?"

"Oh no. Oh _yes_, I wish you did like that; but I mean, where I am
going."

"Do you like it?"

"I like to go. I don't like the place, Norton, for the place is very
disagreeable."

"So I should think. But I might like to go too, you know. I'm going to
try."

Matilda stood still and looked very dubious.

"I'm going," Norton repeated, laughing. "You want me to go, don't you?"

"Why, I would like it very much, if you would not"----

"What? No, I will not," said Norton, shaking his head.

"But, Norton, I am going into Mr. Forshew's, first."

"Well; I can go into Mr. Forshew's too. I've been _there_ before."

"I am going to buy a tea-kettle."

"I shall not interfere with that," said Norton.

"But I am going to get a tea-kettle and take it along with me--to Lilac
Lane."

"What for? They'll send it if you want it."

"I want it immediately, and Mr. Forshew's boy is never there when he is
wanted, you know."

"_You_ want the tea-kettle immediately. You are not going to make tea
immediately, are you?"

"Exactly that, Norton. That is one of the things I am going to do. And
the poor old woman I am going to see has no tea-kettle."

"Then I don't believe she has tea."

"Oh yes, but I know she has tea, Norton."

"And bread and butter?"

"Yes, and bread and butter too," said Matilda, nodding her little head
positively. Norton looked at her with a perfectly grave face.

"It must be a very odd house," said he, "I don't see how you can be so
sure of things."

Matilda began to walk on towards the corner.

"Who took her tea and bread and butter?" said Norton. "I suppose you
know, if you know the rest."

"Of course, somebody must have done it," said Matilda, hesitating.

"I wonder if there was a Pink anywhere among the things," said Norton.
"Did you see anything of it?"

Matilda could not help laughing, and they both laughed; and so they
went into Mr. Forshew's shop. It was a little, low shop, just on the
corner; but, to be sure, there was a great variety, and a good
collection of things there. All sorts of iron things, and a great many
sorts of tin things; with iron dust, and street dust, plentifully
overlying the shop