ed back again, he saw something still stranger, for there was the
table all spread ready for breakfast--better than that indeed, for the
breakfast itself was ready. There was a beautiful, big, wheaten loaf,
and a roll of butter, a treat they seldom tasted, and a great bowl full
of milk, and on the hob by the fire stood the coffee-pot, and it was
many a day since that had been used, with the steam coming out at its
spout, and the nice smell of fresh ground berries fit to make your mouth
water.

'There was no thought of going to bed again for Robin when he had seen
all this, though he'd been half wishing he could, he was that tired from
the night before, and by the clock he now saw that it was half-past six.
He gave a cry of joy which awoke his mother, and brought her and the
children in to see what had happened.'

CHAPTER VIII

NANCE'S STORY (_continued_)

'At the first glance,' continued Nance, 'the poor woman thought that it
was all Robin's doing, but in another moment she saw that was
impossible. The boy was only half-dressed and had plainly not been
outside, and he was looking quite as surprised as the rest.

'"Mother, mother," cried Robin, "where has it all come from? Did you get
up in the night? Has any one been here?"

'His mother was too surprised herself to know what to say. She glanced
round at the children.

'"Let us get dressed quick and have some of this beautiful breakfast,"
said the little girls, "we are so hungry;" and the baby held out its
arms and crowed, and then the mother bethought herself of the little
visitor of the night before. She was the only one who had not been
awakened by Robin's cry of joy--there she was still sleeping soundly,
with a smile on her little fair face.

'"She has brought us good luck," said Robin and his mother, "whoever she
is, and wherever she came from."

'But wonderful as it was they were too hungry to keep on thinking about
it, and soon they were all seated round the table, enjoying themselves
as they hadn't done for many a day.

'And that wasn't the end of it either. When the good woman carried the
remains of the breakfast into the lean-to where their food was kept,
when they had any, what did she find but a beautiful cut of bacon and a
bowl full of eggs.

'"Why, Robin," she said, "there'd be no fear of our starving now, even
if we couldn't cross the moor," and she looked out as she spoke, but the
weather had taken a turn for the better, and Robin wa