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"It is pleasant," said Pennie hurriedly, for she saw a cold look of disapproval on David's face; "not at first, but afterwards." "I like a plan that's pleasant first, and afterwards, and all the time," said Nancy, who was now standing still on the swing. It was worse for Nancy to listen in this mood than to pay no attention.
Pennie loved all beautiful things, from the flowers in the garden and fields to the yellow curls on Cicely's ruffled head, and it often troubled her to feel that with pretty things all round her she did not look pretty herself. So the winter bonnet cast quite a gloom on her for the moment, and although it may seem a small trial to sensible people it was a large one to Pennie.
In season and out of season she never ceased to impress this on Pennie, and although they did not see Kettles again after meeting her at the College, she soon became quite a familiar acquaintance. The little girls carried on a sort of running chronicle, in which Kettles was the chief character, and was made to do and say various surprising things.
She went quickly up to the mantel-piece directly Miss Unity closed the door, and touched the mandarin gently on the head. "Look, Pennie! look!" she cried. Pennie raised her face from her book with an absent expression, which soon changed to horror as she saw the mandarin wagging his head with foolish solemnity. Ethelwyn stood by delighted.
"Well, it was natural, I would not have it otherwise," said Miss Unity to herself as she finished her reflections; "it is right that the child should love her home best." But she sighed as she went back to the sitting-room and took up her work again. Opposite to her was the high-backed chair in which Pennie had spent so many weary hours, bending with a frown over Kettles' garments.
"I'll make him go faster," she said, and raised herself on tiptoe, for the mantel-piece was high. "Don't! don't!" called out Pennie in an agony of alarm; but it was too late. Growing bolder, Ethelwyn gave the mandarin such a sharp tap at the back of his head that he lost his balance and toppled down on the hearth with a horrible crash.
And Pennie was right, for from that night Ambrose improved steadily, though it was some time before he became quite strong and lost his nervous fears. The first visit he paid, when he was well enough to be wheeled into the garden in a bath-chair, escorted by the triumphant children, was to see his new pet, the owl. There he was, hanging in his cage in the darkest corner of the barn.
A month ago the bare idea of having anyone from Anchor and Hope Alley into her house would have been impossible to Miss Unity; but Pennie had made her so familiar with the name and affairs of Kettles, and she had taken so much interest in making her clothes, that it no longer seemed so strange. Still, what would Betty say?
"I should have thought," said Nancy, "that she'd have been glad to rest after all that; but I think I'd rather have a room looking on the street too. I should like watching people pass." Pennie was sitting in her favourite place, the window-seat, where Nurse's flower-pots stood in a row a cactus, a geranium, and some musk. She looked out into the garden.
Though the afternoon was dull and foggy, and there was a little drizzling rain, everything looked pleasant and gay from under the big umbrella which she and Nancy shared together; the old woman at the halfway cottage smiled and nodded as they passed, as though she knew that Pennie felt specially happy, and when they got to the white gate, there were Ambrose and David waving their caps and shouting welcome.
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