er," repeated Pennie with a sigh--"truly and
faithfully."

But she felt almost as low-spirited as ever, for what was the good of
seeing Ambrose if she could not make him understand about the Goblin
Lady? She remained at the window pondering the subject, with her eyes
fixed on the grey church tower, the top of which she could just see
through the branches of the pear-tree. It reminded her somehow of her
father's text last Sunday, and how pleased she and Nancy had been
because it was such a short one to learn. Only two words: "Pray
always." She said it to herself now over and over again without
thinking much about it, until it suddenly struck her that it would be a
good thing to say a little prayer and ask to be helped out of the
present difficulty. "If I believe enough," she said to herself, "I
shall be helped. Father says people always are helped if they believe
enough when they ask."

She shut her eyes up very tight and repeated earnestly several times: "I
_do_ believe. I really and truly do believe;" and then she said her
prayer.

After this she felt a little more comfortable and ran out to play with
Nancy, firmly believing that before five o'clock something would turn up
to her assistance.

But Pennie was doomed to disappointment, for five o'clock came without
any way out of the difficulty having presented itself.

"I suppose I didn't believe hard enough," she said to herself as she
made her way sorrowfully upstairs to Ambrose's room. Just as she
thought this the study door opened and her father came out. He was
carrying something which looked like a large cage covered with a cloth.
Pennie stopped and waited till he came up to her.

"Why, whatever can that be, father?" she said. "Is it alive? Where are
you taking it?"

"It is a little visitor for Ambrose," he answered; "and I'm taking him
upstairs to tea with you both. But you're not to look at him yet;" for
Pennie was trying to peep under the cloth.

When they got into Ambrose's room she was relieved to find that he
looked just like himself, though his face was very white and thin. He
was much better to-day, and able to sit up in a big arm-chair with a
picture-book. But nevertheless before Nurse left the room she whispered
to Pennie again that she must be very quiet.

There was no need for the caution at present, for Pennie was in one of
her most subdued moods, though at any other time she would have been
very much excited to know what was