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held in his hand. "What do you want, Missie?" he asked in a cracked voice. "We don't want anything, thank you," said Pennie politely. "What a lot of old books you have!" "Ah! they're too old for such as you," said the old man, glancing at the watchful form of Nurse in the background; "but I've got a pretty one somewheres that'd just suit you." "Come along, do, Miss Pennie," said Nurse entreatingly, "there's nothing like old books for fevers." But the old man had dived beneath his stall, and now produced a book on which Pennie's eyes were immediately fastened with the deepest interest. "There!" he said, laying it before her, "there's the book to suit you, my little lady." It was a square book in a gaily-coloured parchment cover, somewhat faded, but still showing attractive devices of shields, swords, and dragons. On it was emblazoned in old English letters the title, "_Siegfried the Dragon Slayer_." Pennie gazed at it in silent rapture. "Full of 'lustrations," continued the old man slowly turning the leaves, and leaving it open to display a picture. Pennie and Nancy both bent over it. It was a wonderful picture. There was a man with wings on his shoulders flying high up above a great city, and shooting arrows from a bow at the crowd of people beneath. How did he get wings? Who was he? Pennie cast her eyes hurriedly on the next page to find out, but before she could master one sentence the old man turned over the leaf; "That's the book for you, Missie," he repeated, "you're a scholard, I can see that." Much flattered, Pennie asked quickly, "Does it cost much?" "Dirt cheap," said the old man. "I'll let _you_ have it for eighteenpence." Pennie had exactly that sum in her purse. "Do come away, Miss Pennie," said Nurse's voice behind her. "Why don't you buy it?" said Nancy; "you won't have such a chance again." Pennie gulped down a sort of sob. "I should love to," she said, "but I want to keep my money." "Well, if you're not going to buy, you'd better not look at it any more," said Nancy; "I haven't got any money." With an immense effort, and a parting glance full of affection at "_Siegfried the Dragon Slayer_," Pennie turned away from the stall, much to Nurse's relief. Soon the old man and his books were lost to sight, but they remained very clearly and distinctly in Pennie's mind. She saw the picture of that flying man more vividly than all that was going on round her, and
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