held in his hand.

"What do you want, Missie?" he asked in a cracked voice.

"We don't want anything, thank you," said Pennie politely. "What a lot
of old books you have!"

"Ah! they're too old for such as you," said the old man, glancing at the
watchful form of Nurse in the background; "but I've got a pretty one
somewheres that'd just suit you."

"Come along, do, Miss Pennie," said Nurse entreatingly, "there's nothing
like old books for fevers."

But the old man had dived beneath his stall, and now produced a book on
which Pennie's eyes were immediately fastened with the deepest interest.

"There!" he said, laying it before her, "there's the book to suit you,
my little lady." It was a square book in a gaily-coloured parchment
cover, somewhat faded, but still showing attractive devices of shields,
swords, and dragons. On it was emblazoned in old English letters the
title, "_Siegfried the Dragon Slayer_."

Pennie gazed at it in silent rapture.

"Full of 'lustrations," continued the old man slowly turning the leaves,
and leaving it open to display a picture.

Pennie and Nancy both bent over it. It was a wonderful picture. There
was a man with wings on his shoulders flying high up above a great city,
and shooting arrows from a bow at the crowd of people beneath. How did
he get wings? Who was he?

Pennie cast her eyes hurriedly on the next page to find out, but before
she could master one sentence the old man turned over the leaf; "That's
the book for you, Missie," he repeated, "you're a scholard, I can see
that."

Much flattered, Pennie asked quickly, "Does it cost much?"

"Dirt cheap," said the old man. "I'll let _you_ have it for
eighteenpence."

Pennie had exactly that sum in her purse. "Do come away, Miss Pennie,"
said Nurse's voice behind her.

"Why don't you buy it?" said Nancy; "you won't have such a chance
again."

Pennie gulped down a sort of sob. "I should love to," she said, "but I
want to keep my money."

"Well, if you're not going to buy, you'd better not look at it any
more," said Nancy; "I haven't got any money."

With an immense effort, and a parting glance full of affection at
"_Siegfried the Dragon Slayer_," Pennie turned away from the stall, much
to Nurse's relief. Soon the old man and his books were lost to sight,
but they remained very clearly and distinctly in Pennie's mind. She saw
the picture of that flying man more vividly than all that was going on
round her, and