her empty pocket, to shelter
herself with Podmore at the mock-jewellery stall, and she did not go
to the bazaar any more.

Once again disappointment was in store for Madam Liberality. The end
of her visit came, and her godmother's promise seemed to be forgotten.
But the-night before her departure, the old lady came into her room
and said,

"I couldn't take you with me to-day, child, but I didn't forget my
promise. Podmore says you've been very good, and so I've brought you a
present. A very _useful_ one, I hope," added the old lady, in a tone
as if she were congratulating herself upon her good sense. "And tell
Catherine--that's your mother, child--with my love, always to have you
dressed for the evening. I like to see children come in to dessert,
when they have good manners--which I must say you have; besides, it
keeps the nurses up to their work."

And then she drew out from its paper a little frock of pink
_mousseline-de-laine_, very prettily tacked together by the young
woman at the millinery-stall, and very cheap for its gay appearance.

Down came all Madam Liberality's visions in connection with the
toy-stall: but she consoled herself that night with picturing
Darling's delight when she gave her (as she meant to give her) the
pink dress.

She had another source of comfort and anticipation--_the
scallop-shells_.

But this requires to be explained. The greatest prize which Madam
Liberality had gained from her wanderings by the seashore was a
complete scallop-shell. When washed the double shell was as clean and
as pretty as any china muffin-dish with a round top; and now her
ambition was to get four more, and thus to have a service for doll's
feasts which should far surpass the oyster-shells. She was talking
about this to Podmore one day when they were picking cowries together,
and Podmore cried, "Why, this little girl would get you them, miss,
I'll be bound!"

She was a bare-footed little girl, who sold pebbles and seaweed, and
salt water for sponging with, and she had undertaken to get the
scallop-shells, and had run off to pick seaweed out of a newly landed
net before Madam Liberality could say "Thank you."

She heard no more of the shells, however, until the day before she
went away, when the butler met her as she came indoors, and told her
that the little girl was waiting. And it was not till Madam Liberality
saw the scallop-shells lying clean and pink in a cotton handkerchief
that she remembered tha