tomorrow. Give her my love and
thanks for the fruit, and for introducing one of her cousins to me--you, I
mean," touching Penelope's cheek lightly with her finger. "And these are
for you," placing in Penelope's hands the lovely flowers she had been
carrying all this time.

Penelope gasped with delight. "For Cousin Charlotte! oh, how lovely, I
thought they were for the church."

"They are for neither. They are for you yourself," said Miss Row, with
just the faintest tinge of colour in her cheeks. For one second Penelope
looked incredulous; then in a kind of rapture she held her bouquet closer.
"Oh, thank you very, very, _very_ much," she said earnestly. "I never had
anything so lovely in my life before," and she put up her face with the
prettiest grace imaginable to kiss her new friend.

"I am glad you are pleased," said Miss Row smilingly. "Now, good-bye.
Perhaps I may see you on Sunday."

"On Sunday?" said Penelope puzzled.

"If you come to church."

"Oh, do we come up here to this dear little church? I am so glad,
I didn't know. I hope we shall all come. Good-bye, and thank you,
and,"--hesitating a little and colouring warmly--"I am _so_ sorry about
the crumbs;" and waving her hand to her new friend as she disappeared
within the church, she ran off in a state of high glee.

Mrs. Vercoe was standing at her door as Penelope passed. "Good-morning,
missie," she said. "I reckon you'm fond of walking. I was the same when
I was young. Oh my! what bootiful flowers!"

Penelope stayed to display her treasures. "You must have one of them,
Mrs. Vercoe," she said, selecting one of the handsomest roses from her
bouquet.

Mrs. Vercoe was vastly pleased. "'Tisn't often one has a flower like that
now," she exclaimed delightedly. "It'll brighten up my bit of a place
wonderful. Thank you kindly, missie "; and she disappeared into her house
to place her treasure in water.

Penelope was hurrying on, when, glancing round to look for Guard, her eye
fell on Mrs. Bennett standing at her shop door. Mrs. Bennett said
"good-morning," and Penelope returned the greeting; but she had gone a
step or two before it occurred to her that she had not been very gracious
or kind to the post-mistress. Mrs. Bennett must have seen her stop and
give a flower to Mrs. Vercoe. She paused, then slipped back to Mrs.
Bennett's door. "Would you like one of my pretty flowers?" she asked.

"Oh no, thank you, miss. Don't you pull yo