mn silence, the echo of
its hymn and praise were useless; it was an unknown land to Anchor and
Hope Alley. They were as much shut out from all it had to give as those
dusky inhabitants of another country with whose condition Nearminster
had lately been concerned. Pennie's words occurred to Miss Unity. "I
know Anchor and Hope Alley, and that makes it so much nicer." She
looked down at her side--where _was_ Pennie?

Now while Miss Unity had been walking along in silence, her mind full of
these thoughts and her eyes turned absently away from outward things,
Pennie had been sharply observant of all that was going on in the High
Street through which they were passing. Nothing escaped her, and the
minute before Miss Unity noted her absence she had caught sight of a
familiar figure in the distance, and had dashed across the road without
a thought of consequences. When her godmother's startled glance
discovered her she was standing at the entrance of Anchor and Hope
Alley, and by her side was a figure of about her own height.

And what a figure! Three weeks of nursing, scrubbing, minding children
and running errands had not improved poor Kettles' appearance. The same
old bonnet, which Pennie remembered, hung back from her head, but it was
more crushed and shapeless; the big boots had large holes in them, and
the bony little hand, which clasped a bottle to her chest, was more like
a black claw than ever. When Miss Unity reached them the children were
staring at each other in silence, Pennie rather shy, and Kettles with a
watchful glimmer in her eyes as though prepared to defend herself if
necessary. Miss Unity took Pennie's hand.

"My dear," she said breathlessly, "how could you? I was so alarmed."

"This is Kettles," was Pennie's answer, "and she says her mother isn't
any better."

"Don't you belong to the Provident Club?" asked Miss Unity, with a faint
hope that Nurse might have been wrong.

"No, 'um," said Kettles, looking up at the strange lady.

"Nor the Clothing Club, nor the Coal Club? Does nobody visit your
mother?" asked Miss Unity again.

"Nobody don't come 'cept Mrs Margetts from the College," said Kettles.
"Father says--"

"Oh, never mind that!" said Miss Unity hastily, "we don't want to know."

"Please let her talk," put in Pennie beseechingly. "Father says,"
continued Kettles, her sharp eyes glancing rapidly from one face to the
other, "as how he won't have no 'strict ladies in _his_ house;