-"
She hesitated, broke down, looked at the door as though she would have
dashed out through it, had it only been open, then in one rush poured out
the words that had been repeating and repeating themselves in her brain
all that day.

"I'm very sorry I broke your beautiful set, Mrs. Barnes. I'm--ever so
sorry, I--don't know what to do about it----"

Mona, guided by some sense of how she would have felt under the
circumstances, had disappeared on the pretence of filling a kettle.
She knew how much harder it is to make a confession if others are looking
on and listening.

"Oh!" said Mrs. Barnes, gravely, "was it you that broke my china?
I didn't know."

Millie stared with astonishment. "Didn't--Mona tell you?" she gasped,
quite taken aback. She could scarcely believe her own ears.
Granny Barnes shook her head. "No, I didn't know but what she did it
herself. I believe little Patty did say that she didn't, but I was too
upset to take in what was said. My precious tea-set was broken, and it
didn't seem to me to matter who did it."

Millie was silent for a moment or so. "Well, I did it," she said at last.
"I threw a cushion at Mona, and it hit the china behind her! I've felt
dreadful about it ever since, and I--I didn't dare to come near you.
I don't know what to do about it, Mrs. Barnes. Can it be mended?" she
added, colouring hotly again. "I--I mean I've got some money in the bank.
I'll gladly pay for it to be mended, if it can be."

"I don't know, Millie. Perhaps one or two bits can--but nothing can ever
make the set perfect again." Mrs. Barnes' voice quavered, and tears came
into her eyes. "But I wouldn't let you pay for it. We won't talk any
more about it--I can't. P'raps I set too much store by the things."
She got up from her seat, and stood, leaning heavily on the table.
"It's all right, Millie. I'm very glad you came and told me you did it.
Yes, I'm very glad of that. Now we'll try and forget all about it."

Millie burst into tears, and moved away towards the door.

"Stay and have some tea with Mona and me," Granny urged, hospitably.
"Don't run away, Millie."

But Millie felt that she must go. She wanted to be alone. "I--I think
I'd rather not--not now, thank you. I'll come--another day, if you will
ask me." Then she hurried out, and up the hill, thankful that it was
tea-time, and that nearly everyone was indoors. She quickly turned off
the main road into a little frequented narrow la