She stood perfectly still, gazing straight out before her. Some of the
reflection and brightness of the moonlight seemed to get into her
anxious eyes and the faint dawn of a new-born hope to tremble around
her lips. She thought herself rich with ten shillings a month
pocket-money. She returned to the house, feeling overpowered at Aunt
Raby's goodness.
Upstairs in Prissie's room there were two beds. One was small; in this
she herself slept. The other had now three occupants. Three heads were
raised when Prissie entered the room and three shrill voices
exclaimed:
"Here we are, all wide awake, Prissie, darling!"
This remark, made simultaneously, was followed by prolonged peals of
laughter.
"Three of you in that small bed!" said Priscilla.
She stood still, and a smile broke all over her face. "Why, Hattie,"
she said, catching up the eldest of the three girls and giving her a
fervent hug-- "how did you slip out of Aunt Raby's room?"
"Oh, I managed to," said Hattie in a stage whisper. "Aunt Raby came
upstairs half an hour ago, and she undressed very fast, and got into
bed, and I heard her snoring in about a minute. It was then I slipped
away. She never heard."
"Hop up on the bed now, Prissie," exclaimed Rose, another of the
children, "and let us all have a chat.
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