e
hand, "nothing much, but I'm growing an old woman and easy put out--and
such a stupid like thing for me to have done!"

"What have you done? What is stupid?" inquired Floss, growing curious as
well as sympathising.

"I have lost a half-sovereign--a ten-shilling piece in gold, Miss
Flossie," replied nurse.

"Out of your pocket--dropped it, do you mean?" said Floss.

"Oh no--I had it in my purse--at least I thought I had," said nurse. "It
was a half-sovereign of your mamma's that she gave me to pay Mrs. White
with for Master Jack's things and part of last week that was left over,
and I wrapped it up with a shilling and a sixpence--it came to eleven
and six, altogether--in a piece of paper, and put it in my drawer in the
nursery, and before I came out I put the packet in my purse. And when I
opened it at Mrs. White's no half-sovereign was there! Only the shilling
and the sixpence!"

"You didn't drop it at Mrs. White's, did you? Should we go back and
look?" said Floss, standing still, as if ready to run off that moment.

"No, no, my dear. It's not at Mrs. White's. She and I searched all over,
and she's as honest a body as could be," replied nurse. "No, there's
just the chance of its being in the drawer at home. I feel all in a
fever till I get there to look. But don't you say anything about it,
Miss Flossie; it's my own fault, and no one must be troubled about it
but myself."

"Poor nursie," said Floss, "I'm so sorry. But you're sure to find it in
your drawer. Let's go home very fast. Carrots," she called out to the
little figure obediently trotting on in front, "Carrots, come and walk
with nursie and me now. Nurse isn't vexed."

Carrots turned back, looking up wistfully in nurse's face.

"Poor darlings," said the old woman to herself, "such a shame of me to
have spoilt their walk!"

And all the way home, "to make up," she was even kinder than usual.

But her hopes of finding the lost piece of money were disappointed. She
searched all through the drawer in vain; there was no half-sovereign to
be seen. Suddenly it struck her that Carrots had been busy "tidying" for
Floss that morning.

"Master Carrots, my dear," she said, "when you were busy at Miss Floss's
drawer to-day, you didn't open mine, did you, and touch anything in it?"

"Oh, no," said Carrots, at once, "I'm quite, quite _sure_ I didn't,
nursie."

"You're sure you didn't touch nurse's purse, or a little tiny packet of
white paper, in her drawer?"