prayed for forgiveness, and he could always pray more
beautifully than Elspeth. Even she was satisfied with the way he did it,
and so, alack, was he.

"But you forgot to tell," she said fondly, when once more they were in
the wardrobe together--"you forgot to tell as you filled your pockets
wif things to me."

"I didn't forget," Tommy replied modestly. "I missed it out, on purpose,
I did, 'cos I was sure God knows on it without my telling him, and I
thought he would be pleased if I didn't let on as I knowed it was good
of me."

"Oh, Tommy," cried Elspeth, worshipping him, "I couldn't have doned
that, I couldn't!" She was barely six, and easily taken in, but she
would save him from himself if she could.

CHAPTER IX

AULD LANG SYNE

What to do with her ladyship's threepence? Tommy finally decided to drop
it into the charity-box that had once contained his penny. They held it
over the slit together, Elspeth almost in tears because it was such a
large sum to give away, but Tommy looking noble he was so proud of
himself; and when he said "Three!" they let go.

There followed days of excitement centred round their money-box. Shovel
introduced Tommy to a boy what said as after a bit you forget how much
money was in your box, and then when you opened it, oh, Lor'! there is
more than you thought, so he and Elspeth gave this plan a week's trial,
affecting not to know how much they had gathered, but when they unlocked
it, the sum was still only eightpence; so then Tommy told the liar to
come on, and they fought while the horrified Elspeth prayed, and Tommy
licked him, a result due to one of the famous Thrums left-handers then
on exhibition in that street for the first time, as taught the victor by
Petey Whamond the younger, late of Tillyloss.

The money did come in, once in spate (twopence from Bob in twenty-four
hours), but usually so slowly that they saw it resting on the way, and
then, when they listened intently, they could hear the thud of Hogmanay.
The last halfpenny was a special aggravation, strolling about, just out
of reach, with all the swagger of sixpence, but at last Elspeth had it,
and after that, the sooner Hogmanay came the better.

They concealed their excitement under too many wrappings, but their
mother suspected nothing. When she was dressing on the morning of
Hogmanay, her stockings happened to be at the other side of the room,
and they were such a long way off that she rested on the way to