em to heat some milk, and then Linny and I will wrap you up and
take you home.'

'But,' said a little voice, 'won't the getting-well children catch the
whooping-cough?'

Judith--that's what we always call her now--couldn't help laughing. It
was Maud who had said it.

'The Home children are all in bed and asleep long ago,' she said.
'They'll run no risk, and I've not heard any of you coughing. I'm sure
the infection's over. So come along. Oh, my music! Linny, take the
lantern; oh no, she's gone! Never mind, I'll get it on my way home. I
don't want the organist to confuse it with his.'

And in five minutes we found ourselves in the kitchen at the Home, in
front of a jolly fire, and with nice hot milk to drink. For it really
was a cold night; it had been raining, too, pretty sharply. The other
ladies at the Home--there were two, and two servants--were very nice to
us. But Maud kept hold of Miss Cross-at-first's hand as if she couldn't
let go.

'Now, we must get you home,' said Judith. 'Let's see, how can we wrap
you up? Why, this is your brother's jacket. My boy, _you_ must have been
cold! Here, put on your coat, and I'll fetch some shawls and things. I
have a bundle I have never undone since I came, for it hasn't been cold
till now.'

She flew upstairs, and was down again in a moment.

'Here's a shawl for each of you,' she said to Anne and Serry; 'and here,
oh yes, this short fur tippet will be just the thing for Maud. I didn't
know I'd got it here.'

It was a nice little cape, with a hood at the back.

She opened it out and gave it a shake, as people often do when a thing
has been folded up, and--something hard dropped out of it and rolled on
to the stone floor with a clatter.

'What's that?' said Judith. 'There must have been some pin or something
caught in the fur. I haven't worn it for ever so long--not since----'

She stooped and looked about a little on the floor. But she is
near-sighted--that's why she frowns so,--and she didn't see anything.

'Never mind, I daresay it was only a safety-pin,' she said. 'Here,
Maudie, dear,' and she held out the cape.

But Anne had been looking about on the floor too, and suddenly she made
a dive under a table standing at one side. When she stood up again her
face looked all--I don't know how.

'Jack,' she said, as if she were choking, 'it's----' and she held out
her hand. There, on her palm--looking not quite so bright as the last
time we had seen it, but otherwis