J.H.E.
| PAGE | |
| Ida | 1 |
| Mrs. Moss | 29 |
| The Snoring Ghost | 75 |
| Reka Dom | 131 |
| Kerguelen's Land | 227 |
Cymbeline.
The little old lady lived over the way, through a green gate thatshut with a click, and up three white steps. Every morning at eighto'clock the church bell chimed for Morning Prayer—chim! chime! chim!chime!—and every morning at eight o'clock the little old lady camedown the white steps, and opened the gate with a click, and went wherethe bells were calling.
About this time also little Ida would kneel on a chair at her nurserywindow in the opposite house to watch the old lady come out and go.The old lady was one of those people who look always the same. Everymorning her cheeks looked like faded rose-leaves, and her white hairlike a snow-wreath in a garden laughing at the last tea-rose. Everymorning she wore the same black satin bonnet, and the same white[4]shawl; had delicate gloves on the smallest of hands, and gathered herskirt daintily up from the smallest of feet. Every morning she carrieda clean pocket-handkerchief, and a fresh rose in the same hand withher Prayer-book; and as the Prayer-book, being bound up with theBible, was very thick, she seemed to have some difficulty in so doing.Every morning, whatever the weather might be, she stood outside thegreen gate, and looked up at the sky to see if this were clear, anddown at the ground to see if that were dry; and so went where thebells were calling.
Ida knew the little old lady quite well by sight, but she did not knowher name. Perhaps Ida's great-uncle knew it; but he was a grave,unsociable man, who saw very little of his neighbours, so perhaps hedid not; and Ida stood too much