But I shall probably see her as she passes the
school-house." And then, stick in hand, he walked forth, and Lucy
fancied that Bobby's eyes immediately rested on the bag of
gingerbread-nuts.

"Bob," said she, almost in a whisper, "do you like sugar-plums?"

"Very much, indeed," said Bob, with exceeding gravity, and with his
eye upon the window to see whether his father had passed.

"Then come here," said Lucy. But as she spoke the door again opened,
and Mr. Crawley reappeared. "I have left a book behind me," he said;
and coming back through the room, he took up the well-worn Prayer
Book which accompanied him in all his wanderings through the parish.
Bobby, when he saw his father, had retreated a few steps back, as
also did Grace, who, to confess the truth, had been attracted by the
sound of sugar-plums, in spite of the irregular verbs. And Lucy
withdrew her hand from her muff, and looked guilty. Was she not
deceiving the good man--nay, teaching his own children to deceive
him? But there are men made of such stuff that an angel could hardly
live with them without some deceit. "Papa's gone now," whispered
Bobby; "I saw him turn round the corner." He, at any rate, had
learned his lesson--as it was natural that he should do. Some one
else, also, had learned that papa was gone; for while Bob and Grace
were still counting the big lumps of sugar-candy, each employed the
while for inward solace with an inch of barley-sugar, the front-door
opened, and a big basket, and a bundle done up in a kitchen-cloth,
made surreptitious entrance into the house, and were quickly unpacked
by Mrs. Robarts herself on the table in Mrs. Crawley's bedroom.

"I did venture to bring them," said Fanny, with a look of shame, "for
I know how a sick child occupies the whole house."

"Ah! my friend," said Mrs. Crawley, taking hold of Mrs. Robarts's arm
and looking into her face, "that sort of shame is over with me. God
has tried us with want, and for my children's sake I am glad of such
relief."

"But will he be angry?"

"I will manage it. Dear Mrs. Robarts, you must not be surprised at
him. His lot is sometimes very hard to bear; such things are so much
worse for a man than for a woman." Fanny was not quite prepared to
admit this in her own heart, but she made no reply on that head. "I
am sure I hope we may be able to be of use to you," she said, "if you
will only look upon me as an old friend, and write to me if you want
me. I hesitate to come f