did not see her way out of it at all, though she worked endless sums on
scraps of paper, and worried over it both in play-hours and lesson-time.

This afternoon it was still in her mind when Miss Grey, the governess,
came into the school-room with the other children and called her away
from the window-seat where she had sat so long. Pennie gave up her
thoughts with a sigh and prepared to write out her French translation,
while her sister Nancy and her two brothers Ambrose and David were
reading history aloud. She gave her task only half her attention,
however, and sat staring at the words for some time without thinking of
their meaning. It was one of Aesop's fables that she had to put into
French. "Union is strength," said the motto; and as she read it over
for the twentieth time a sudden and splendid idea flashed across her
mind.

"Of course!" she exclaimed aloud in triumph.

"Another bad mark, Pennie," said Miss Grey; for talking in school hours
was one of Pennie's failings.

But she was now so possessed with her new idea and so eager to carry it
out, that bad marks did not seem of much consequence. She scrambled
through her other lessons, straining her ears all the while for the
first tinkle of the four o'clock bell sounding from the village school,
for that was the signal that lessons at the rectory were also over for
the afternoon. There then remained one precious hour before tea-time,
and in summer there was an immediate rush into the garden and fields.

At last the welcome sound came. Nancy was generally the first to
announce it, but to-day Pennie was beforehand.

"It's begun, Miss Grey," she exclaimed, starting up so hastily that
cotton, scissors, and thimble, all fell on the ground.

"More haste worse speed, Pennie," said Miss Grey. "Now you will have to
stay and pick up all those things and put them neatly away."

Poor Pennie gathered up her property as quickly as she could, but the
hateful thimble, as if it knew she was in a hurry, rolled into a dark
corner and could not be found.

"Oh, _does_ it matter to-day?" she asked pleadingly, as Nancy, Ambrose,
and David, having put away their books, rushed headlong past her, and
she heard their first yells of delight as they burst into the garden.
"I'll find it afterwards--I _really_ will."

But Miss Grey was firm.

"You are too careless, Pennie. I must have it found before you go out."

Pennie groped about the school-room floor, groaning with