I wish I could find it. I do want that penny so much! It was a beauty
thimble, too, and she loves it. I don't want to give it back to her 'cos
she loves it, but I should like my penny."

Pauline had now nearly disappeared from view.

"Paulie is up to a lark," thought Penelope, who was the sharpest of all
the children, and read motives as though she was reading an open book.
"She doesn't walk as though she was tur'ble unhappy. I wonder what she's
up to. And that red stain on her cheek was fruit; course it was fruit.
How did she get it? I wish I knew. I'll try and find out."

Pauline had now reached her bedroom. There she hastily put on her best
clothes. They were very simple, but, under Miss Tredgold's regime, fairly
nice. She was soon attired in a neat white frock; and an old yellow sash
of doubtful cleanliness and a bunch of frowsy red poppies were folded in
a piece of tissue paper. Pauline then slipped on her sailor hat. She had
a great love for the old sash; and as to the poppies, she thought them
far more beautiful than any real flowers that ever grew. She meant to tie
the yellow sash round her waist when she reached the shrubbery, and to
pin the poppies into her hat. The fact that Miss Tredgold had forbidden
her to wear this sash, and had herself removed the poppies from her
Sunday hat, gave her now a sense of satisfaction.

"Young ladies don't wear things of that sort," Miss Tredgold had said.

"A young lady shall wear things of this sort to-night," thought Pauline.

Having finished her toilet, she locked her door from the outside and put
the key into her pocket; but before she left the room she drew down the
dark-green blind. She then slipped downstairs and went out through the
back way. She had to go through the yard, but no one saw her except
Betty, who, as she afterwards remarked, did observe the flutter of a
white dress with the tail of her eye. But Betty at that moment was
immersed in a fresh installment of the wonderful adventures of the Duke
of Mauleverer-Wolverhampton and his bride, and what did it matter to her
if the young ladies chose to run out in their best frocks?

Pauline reached the shrubbery without further adventure. There she put on
her extra finery. Her yellow sash was tied in a large bow, and her
poppies nodded over her forehead.

It was a very excited dark-eyed girl who presently met Nancy King on the
other side of the wicket-gate.

"Here I am," said Pauline. "I expect I shall never