"Poor Dick, are you hungry, too?
You do look tired and thin.

Yes, you shall come in;" and the narrow stream of light became a wide river, which broke over the pair and surrounding them drew them in, until they found themselves safely landed in the cosiest little kitchen Huldah had ever seen.
It was really a very humble little kitchen, with signs of poverty everywhere, but to Huldah it was a palace.

It was spotlessly clean, and as neat as a new pin, and to a child who had spent the greater part of her life in a dirty, untidy caravan, this was a sign of superiority, even of luxury.
To Dick the cleanness and neatness meant nothing, the rag mat before the hearth was the most luxurious thing he had ever seen in the whole of his life, and he stretched his lanky aching body on it with a deep sigh of perfect bliss, and promptly fell asleep.
Huldah and old Mrs.Perry meanwhile stood in the middle of the kitchen surveying each other.
"Sit down, child," said Martha, at last, "you look fit to drop." She spoke brusquely but not unkindly.
"Thank you, ma'am," said Huldah, gratefully, and perched herself, with a long-drawn breath of excitement, on the edge of the hard chair nearest the door.
"Not there.

Go and sit in the arm-chair by the fire-place.
Would you like a cup of tea ?" "Oh!" gasped Huldah, almost too delighted to be able to find words to answer with.

There was more pleasure, though, in her tone than any number of words could have conveyed.
"The kettle is on the boil.