red, always attended her, she had that very morning received a
present of a pot of honey, and she was pressing this on her visitors
when the sound of a footstep was heard on the stairs.

"Perhaps it's Mrs Crump!" exclaimed Nancy eagerly. "If it is, do ask
her to tea."

"It isn't Mrs Crump," said Pennie, listening; "it's somebody whose
boots are much too big."

The steps came slowly up the steep stairs, one at a time, with evident
difficulty, and then there was a timid knock at the door.

"I know who it is. You may come in, Kettles," said Nurse, raising her
voice.

The door opened and Kettles came in. She was a little girl of about
Nancy's age, in a tattered frock, an old shawl, and a straw bonnet
hanging back from her head by the strings. Her hair fell rough and
tangled over her forehead, beneath which a pair of bright grey eyes
looked out half suspiciously at the company, and yet with a sort of
mouse-like shrewdness, which was increased by the whole expression of
her sharp little pointed face. Pennie glanced at once at her feet. She
had been right. Kettles' boots were many sizes too large for her, which
accounted for her difficulty in getting upstairs, and indeed everything
she wore seemed to belong to a bigger and older person.

The children both stared in surprise at this little dingy figure, and
Kettles returned their gaze, shifting her furtive glance from one face
to the other with wonderful swiftness as she stood just inside the door,
clasping a cracked china jug to her chest.

"You've come for my tea-leaves, haven't you?" said Nurse as she opened
her corner cupboard and took out a basin. "How's your mother to-day?"

"She's bad," said Kettles decidedly, shutting up her mouth very tight
after she had spoken.

"Is it her head again?" inquired Nurse.

"It's 'ralgy all down one side of her face--orful," said Kettles.

"Well, a cup of tea will do her good," said Nurse as she put the
tea-leaves into the jug.

"Her knees is bad too," added Kettles, as if unwilling to have the
matter too slightly treated.

"Ah! I don't wonder," said Nurse sympathetically, "kneeling about in
the damp so much as she's forced to."

Nancy, who had noticed that Kettles' eyes were straying over the
eatables on the table, here nudged Nurse with her elbow.

"Wouldn't she like some bread and honey?" she whispered.

"This little lady wants to know if you'd like some bread and honey?"
repeated Nurse aloud condescendingly