puddle--for it's nothing but a puddle,
though a big one--that you've disfigured my grounds with?" asked the old
gentleman.

"Miss Grace says it will be a capital place for raising water-lilies,
sir," said the man.

"Oh, indeed! Very fine. But I can't eat water-lilies. There's no pepper
about them, and it's the pepper I want."

"Perhaps I can find some cresses for sale somewhere near, sir. Shall I
go and look, sir?"

"No," snarled the master. "By the time you came back with them, if you
got them, ten chances to one I shouldn't want them. When I want things,
I want them at once. Yes, I'd give five dollars for some fresh
water-cresses this very minute;" and he again seized his wig and
flourished it in the air.

With trembling fingers Cissy opened the gate, and walked in. The
servant-man placed the camp-chair on the ground. The old gentleman sat
down in it, first hanging his hair on the back, leaving his head as
smooth and shining as an ivory ball, looked at the intruder with keen
black eyes, and asked, sharply, "Well, what do _you_ want?"

"To give you these water-cresses," she said, with a smile, holding up
her apron. "They were gathered only a short time ago, and my apron's
quite clean, sir."

"Bless me!" exclaimed the old gentleman, "what a wonderful coincidence!
and"--taking a bunch and beginning to eat them--"what fine
water-cresses! And I suppose you expect that five dollars, for of course
you heard what I said."

"No, sir," said Cissy, shyly, "I never thought of the money. I know you
only said that as people often say things. I'm glad to give them to you,
sir, because you wanted them so much."

The old gentleman burst into a loud laugh, put on his wig, and asked her
name. And then by degrees he got the whole story from her--the death of
the father, the accident that lamed the mother, the gift of the cresses
from Frank Hillborn, and the five miles yet to go in search of work.
"And what was your mother's name before she was married?" was his last
question.

"Prudence Kelly, sir."

"Prudence Kelly! I knew it!" he shouted, springing from his chair. And
then, in a still louder voice, he called, "Grace! Grace!" and a pretty
young lady came running toward him. "I've found your old nurse, my dear,
your faithful old nurse that we have lost sight of for years. This is
her daughter. And she is in want. Take the carriage and go to her at
once. What a blessing that I got up in a scolding humor this morning,
and