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Updated: June 10, 2025
Yet it was much too good to be given up. The plan was this. To buy a new Chinese mandarin for Miss Unity Cheffins. Now Miss Unity was Pennie's godmother, and lived in the Cathedral Close at Nearminster, which was two miles away from the village of Easney.
Day by day Pennie's comfort, Pennie's improvement, Pennie's pleasure filled her thoughts more and more, and it became strange to think of the time when the little pink-chintz room had been empty. Pennie sat one afternoon sewing wearily a way at a long seam.
"It was much worse than I thought it would be," she said as she sat at tea with her godmother; "but I sha'n't see any of them again for another week, that's one good thing." Miss Unity was surprised to find, as time went on, that Pennie's weekly visits were neither irksome nor disturbing; there was something about them, on the contrary, that she really liked.
Now the cloud was gone which had made Pennie's sky so dark, and all was bright again; the drive back to Easney, which she always enjoyed, was on this occasion simply delightful.
Ethelwyn made no answer; she was attentively observing Pennie's blue serge frock, and presently asked: "What's your best dress?" "It's the same as this," said Pennie, looking down at it meekly, "only newer." "Mine's velveteen," said Ethelwyn, "the new shade, you know a sort of mouse colour. Nurse says I look like a picture in it. Do you always wear pinafores?"
It might have puzzled a wiser head than Pennie's; but at last, by dint of much calculation on the fingers, she arrived with a mind at rest at the following results: An india-rubber ball for the baby, a lead pencil for father, a packet of pins for mother, a ball of twine for Ambrose, a paint-brush for Nancy, a pen-holder for David, and a tiny china dog for Dickie.
It certainly was making a most mournful noise that evening, but not at all like a Christian, Ambrose thought, as he listened to it much more like Pennie's Goblin Lady and her musical performances.
She moved him gently a little nearer the clock; Pennie's expression changed to one of positive agony, and the mandarin's head fell immediately with a sharp "click" on to the marble! Clasping her hands, Pennie turned involuntarily towards Ethelwyn. Now she must speak. But Ethelwyn was quite silent, and did not even turn her head. It was Miss Unity's voice which broke the stillness.
Pennie's attention soon wandered away again to a more attractive subject: Ethelwyn! it was certainly a nice name to have, and seemed to mean all sorts of interesting things; how small and poor the name of Pennie sounded after it! shortened to Pen, as it was sometimes, it was worse still. No doubt Ethelwyn would be pretty.
The children all thought that Pennie's best stories were about a certain lumber-room in the vicarage which was called the "Garret." They were also the most dreadful and thrilling, for there was something about the garret which lent itself readily to tales of mystery and horror.
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