he poker.]

"Don't be silly--it's a matter of life and death."

There was not very much in the missionary-box,--only
seven-and-fourpence,--but the girls between them had nearly four
shillings. This made over eleven shillings, as you will easily see.

Anthea tied up the money in a corner of her pocket-handkerchief. "Come
on, Jane!" she said, and ran down to the farm. She knew that the farmer
was going into Rochester that afternoon. In fact it had been arranged
that he was to take the four children with him. They had planned this in
the happy hour when they believed that they we're going to get that
hundred pounds, in two-shilling pieces, out of the Psammead. They had
arranged to pay the farmer two shillings each for the ride. Now Anthea
hastily explained to him that they could not go, but would he take
Martha and the Baby instead? He agreed, but he was not pleased to get
only half-a-crown instead of eight shillings.

Then the girls ran home again. Anthea was agitated, but not flurried.
When she came to think it over afterwards, she could not help seeing
that she had acted with the most far-seeing promptitude, just like a
born general. She fetched a little box from her corner drawer, and went
to find Martha, who was laying the cloth and not in the best of tempers.

"Look here," said Anthea. "I've broken the water jug in mother's room."

"Just like you--always up to some mischief," said Martha, dumping down a
salt-cellar with a bang.

"Don't be cross, Martha dear," said Anthea. "I've got enough money to
pay for a new one--if only you'll be a dear and go and buy it for us.
Your cousins keep a china-shop, don't they? And I would like you to get
it to-day, in case mother comes home to-morrow. You know she said she
might perhaps."

"But you're all going into town yourselves," said Martha.

"We can't afford to, if we get the new jug," said Anthea; "but we'll pay
for you to go, if you'll take the Lamb. And I say, Martha, look
here--I'll give you my Liberty box, if you'll go. Look, it's most
awfully pretty--all inlaid with real silver and ivory and ebony, like
King Solomon's temple."

"I see," said Martha,--"no, I don't want your box, miss. What you want
is to get the precious Lamb off your hands for the afternoon. Don't you
go for to think I don't see through you!"

This was so true that Anthea longed to deny it at once. Martha had no
business to know so much. But she held her tongue.

Martha set down the bread wit