ll
should be ready at a fixed hour next Saturday. She met with doubts and
objections and difficulties enough, but only failed in one or two
instances. Then followed fresh talks with her grandfather, and all the
details were arranged.

There was rain on the Thursday and Friday, but when Ida drew up her
blind at six o'clock on Saturday morning, the sky gave promise of good
things. She was walking in the garden long before breakfast-time, and
gladdened to rapture as she watched the sun gain power, till it
streamed gloriously athwart cloudless blue. By one o'clock she was at
the end of Litany Lane, where the cart with long seats was already
waiting; its arrival had become known to the little ones, and very few
needed summoning. Of course there were disappointments now and again.
In spite of mothers' promises, half the children had their usual dirty
faces, and showed no sign of any preparation. Five or six of them had
nothing to put on their heads; two had bare feet. It was too late to
see to these things now; as they were, the children clambered, or were
lifted, on to the cart, and Ida took her seat among them. Then a crack
of the driver's whip, and amid the shouts of envious brothers and
sisters, and before the wondering stare of the rest of the population,
off they drove away.

"Who'd like an apple?" Ida asked, as soon as they were well clear of
the narrow streets. There was a general scream of delight, and from a
hamper by her side she brought out apples and distributed them. Only
for a minute or two had there been anything like shyness in Ida's
presence; she knew how to talk and behave to these poor little waifs.
Her eyes filled with tears as she listened to their chatter among
themselves, and recognised so many a fragment of her own past life. One
child, who sat close by her, had been spending the morning in washing
vegetables for the Saturday-night market. Did not that call to mind
something?--so far off; so far, yet nearer to her than many things
which had intervened. How they all laughed, as the big, black houses
gave way to brighter streets, and these again began to open upon
glimpses of field or garden! Not one of them had the slightest
conception of whither they were being taken, or what was to happen to
them at length. But they had confidence in "the lady." She was a
sorceress in their eyes; what limit could there be to her powers?
Something good and joyous awaited them; that was all they knew or
cared; leagu