m in which they sat looked out into the Close. It increased
Pennie's misery this afternoon to see how bright and pleasant everything
was outside, how the sunlight played about the carved figures on the
west front of the Cathedral, how the birds darted hither and thither,
and how the fallen leaves danced and whirled in the breeze. Everything
was gay and active, while she must sit fastened to that dreadful chair,
and push her needle in and out of the unyielding stuff.

First the back of her neck ached, so that she felt she must poke her
head out, and Miss Unity looking up, said, "Draw in your chin, my dear."
Then she felt that she must at any cost kick out her legs one after the
other, and Miss Unity said, "Don't fidget, my dear. A lady always
controls her limbs." It was wonderful to see how long her godmother
could sit quite still, and to hear her thimble go "click, click," so
steadily with never a break. It was as constant as the tick of the
clock on the mantel-piece. Would that small hand _never_ reach the hour
of three?

Nurse's proverb of a "watched kettle never boils" came into Pennie's
mind, and she resolved not to look at the clock again until the hour
struck. The word "kettle" made her think of Kettles and of Nancy's last
letter, and she wondered whether Miss Unity would go to the College that
afternoon, as she had half promised. Those thoughts carried her a good
way down the seam, and meanwhile the hands of the clock crept steadily
on until the first stroke of three sounded deeply from the Cathedral.
Pennie jumped up, threw her work on the table, and stretched out her
arms.

"Oh how glad I am!" she cried, spreading out her cramped fingers one by
one. "And now, may we go and see old Nurse?"

Miss Unity looked up from her work, hesitating a little. Pennie was
always making her do things at odd hours, upsetting the usual course of
events, and introducing all sorts of disturbing ideas.

"Well, dear," she said, "the morning is our time for walking, isn't it?"

"But this morning it rained," said Pennie; "and now look, only look,
dear Miss Unity, how beautiful it is--do let us go."

She went close to her godmother and put her arm coaxingly round her
neck. Miss Unity gave in at once.

"Well, then, we will go," she said, rising to look out of the window.
"But it's very damp, Pennie. Put on goloshes, and a waterproof, for I
think we shall have more rain."

Nothing could have shown Pennie's influence