r eleven o'clock.

They had gone some little distance from Penelope Mansion, and found
themselves in a far more cheerful and bright-looking street, before
Poppy divulged her plans.

"I has got to choose," she said, "and as I stated distinct to Miss
Jasmine yesterday, I don't go in for the glooms of the Tower, nor the
solemns of the Cathedral. I'd like to walk from end to end of Oxford
Street first, and then I'd like to take a penny boat on the river."

"A penny boat!" exclaimed the three sisters in a breath, "that does
sound delightful, and so cheap. Where did you hear of penny boats,
Poppy?"

Poppy's face became radiant.

"It was the last charwoman at the Mansion," she answered. "She said
that if you wanted a pleasure, and a pleasure cheap, there was nothing
in all the world like a penny boat. You sit in it, and there you are,
as snug as snug; plenty of room and plenty of company, and plenty of
sights. Mrs. Jones said that if there was a pleasure to rest a
tired charwoman it was to be found in a penny boat."

"Well, we are not charwomen, but we may as well have a little rest and
fun while we can," answered Jasmine. "I think yours is a lovely treat,
dear Poppy, and we will try and get into the penny boat as fast as
possible."

"I don't know how we are to reach the boats," said Primrose. "I begin
to know my way a little about Oxford Street, but how are we to find
the river?"

Poppy, however, had made good use of her acquaintance with Mrs. Jones
the charwoman. She knew the name as well as the color of the omnibus
which would safely convey them near to the pier at Westminster. She
also knew, being instructed by Mrs. Jones, that a policeman was the
right person to give her information as to where this special omnibus
was to be found. She was by no means shy in making her desires known
to one of these useful and worthy members of society, and in a short
time the four found themselves bowling away in the direction of
Westminster, and then, without any insurmountable difficulty, secured
comfortable seats on one of the river steamers.

The day was perfect, neither too hot nor too cold, and the summer
breezes fanned the young cheeks pleasantly, and raised the youthful
spirits to an exhilarating height. Poppy forgot her troubles in
Penelope Mansion, her difficulties with regard to the name of Sarah.
She forgot the gloom of the back scullery, and the discontented frown
quite vanished from her brow. London was again daz