long gaze, "it's different--different in size."

"England's a little place," said Nurse Branscome. "In the colonies--
I won't say anything about the States, for I've never seen them; but
I've been to Australia in my time, and I expect with Canada it's much
the same or more so--in the colonies everything's spread out; but
home here, I heard Brother Copas say, if you want to feel how great
anything is, you have to take it deep-ways, layer below layer."

Corona knit her small brow.

"But Windsor Castle is a mighty big place?" she said hopefully.

"Oh, yes!"

"Well, I'm glad of that anyway."

"But why, dear?"

"Because," said Corona, "that is where the King lives. I used to
call him _my_ King over on the Other Side, because my name is Corona,
and means I was born the year he was crowned. They make out they
don't hold much stock in kings, back there; but that sort of talk
didn't take me in, because when you _have_ a King of your own you
know what it feels like. And, anyway, they had to allow that King
Edward is a mighty big one, and that he is always making peace for
all the world. . . . So now you know why I'm glad about Windsor
Castle."

"I'm afraid it is not quite clear to me yet," said Nurse Branscome,
leading her on.

"I can't 'splain very well."--The child could never quite compass the
sound "ex" in words where a consonant followed.--"I'm no good at
'splaining. But I guess if the job was up to you to make peace for
all-over-the-world, you'd want to sit in a big place, sort of empty
an' quiet, an' feel like God." Corona gazed out of window again.
"You can tell he's been at it, too, hereabouts; but somehow I didn't
'spect it to be all lying about in little bits."

They alighted from the idling train at a small country station
embowered in roses, the next on this side of Merchester and but a
short three-quarters of a mile from St. Hospital, towards which they
set out on foot by a meadow-path and over sundry stiles, a porter
following (or rather making a _detour_ after them along the high
road) and wheeling Corona's effects on a barrow. From the first
stile Nurse Branscome pointed out the grey Norman buildings, the
chapel tower, the clustering trees; and supported Corona with a hand
under her elbow as, perched on an upper bar with her knees against
the top rail, she drank in her first view of home.

Her first comment--it shaped itself into a question, or rather into
two questions--gave Nurse Bransco