, Emily," said Mr. Fairchild, "and put on your thick shoes
and warm coat, for it is very cold."

As soon as Emily was ready, she set off with her father. It was a very
cold day, and the ground was quite hard with the frost. Mr. Fairchild
walked first, and Emily came after him with the little basket. They
gave the basket to the schoolmaster, and returned. As they were coming
back, Emily saw something bright upon the ground; and when she stooped
to pick it up, she saw that it was a ring set round with little white
shining stones.

"Oh, papa, papa!" she said, "see what I have found! What a beautiful
ring!"

When Mr. Fairchild looked at it, he was quite surprised.

"Why, my dear," said he, "I think that this is Lady Noble's diamond
ring; how came it to be lying in this place?"

Whilst they were looking at the ring they heard the sound of a
carriage; it was Sir Charles Noble's, and Lady Noble was in it.

"Oh, Mr. Fairchild!" she called out of the window of the carriage, "I
am in great trouble; I have lost my diamond ring, and it is of very
great value. I went to the village this morning in the carriage, and as
I came back, pulled off my glove to get sixpence out of my purse to
give to a poor man somewhere in this lane, and I suppose that my ring
dropped off at the time. I don't know what I shall do; Sir Charles will
be sadly vexed."

"Make yourself quite happy, madam," said Mr. Fairchild, "here is your
ring; Emily just this moment picked it up."

Lady Noble was exceedingly glad when she received back her ring. She
thanked Emily twenty times, and said, "I think I have something in the
carriage which you will like very much, Miss Emily; it is just come
from London, and was intended for my daughter Augusta; but I will send
for another for her."

So saying, she presented Emily with a new doll packed up in paper, and
with it a little trunk, with a lock and key, full of clothes for the
doll. Emily was so delighted that she almost forgot to thank Lady
Noble; but Mr. Fairchild, who was not quite so much overjoyed as his
daughter, remembered to return thanks for this pretty present.

So Lady Noble put the ring on her finger, and ordered the coachman to
drive home.

"Oh, papa, papa!" said Emily, "how beautiful this doll is! I have just
torn the paper a bit, and I can see its face; it has blue eyes and red
lips, and hair like Henry's. Oh, how beautiful! Please, papa, to carry
the box for me; I cannot carry both the box an