usk, with the soft cheek pressed against hers. 'Even if
they can't do any great work themselves, perhaps they can help those
who do.'

'Like you and Aunt Betty and me. I'm your little oak-tree, like
godpapa Godfrey's, and you planted me and you look after me. And you'd
like me to come up brave and be a great captain and win a battle one
day. Would you mind if the Frenchies shot my leg off, like Kiah's?'

'I should have to try to be proud, Godfrey; it would be very hard.'

'Then you'd be brave again, wouldn't you--braver than me, because I
don't know that I should mind if I was as nice as Kiah? And p'r'aps
the King would want me to have a medal, and I should say, "No, please,
not for me, your Majesty"; and he'd say, "Who for, then?" and I should
say, "For my maiden aunts."'

[Illustration: Chapter V tailpiece]

[Illustration: Chapter VI headpiece]

CHAPTER VI

CHRISTMAS AT OAKFIELD

'Round the world and home again,
That's the sailor's way.'--WILLIAM ALLINGHAM

Captain Maitland did call at the cottage, as he had said, the very day
after Godfrey's adventure. Angel and Betty felt a little alarmed, for
they never had any visitors except the vicar of the parish of which
Oakfield was an outlying hamlet. They sat up rather straight on the
company chairs in the parlour, and Penelope, who had kept the visitor
waiting at the door while she put on her best cap, brought in a bottle
of gooseberry wine and a plate of sweet biscuits, for the cake which
Angel had hoped would be ready against the time when the captain called
was still in the oven. Perhaps it was the disappointment about the
cake that upset Penny's ideas, for she never looked where she was going
as she came in with the tray, and the consequence was that she stumbled
over the round footstool with two wool-work doves sitting in a wreath
of roses. It was a dreadful moment, while Penny came staggering
forward with the gooseberry wine slipping off the tray, until she went
full tilt into the arms of the captain, who had sprung to his feet, and
managed very adroitly to catch the tray in one hand and hold up Penny
with the other, while the sweet biscuits hailed upon him like bullets.
Poor Penny turned and ran, with her cap over one ear, too much abashed
even to see what damage was done, and Betty felt that if only the floor
would open under her it would be a comfort. Only for half a moment.
Then the captain turned round and said, with a