Squire Eben laughed and smoothed her hair, but looked at her doubtfully.

"I don't know about it, Pretty," he whispered back.
"Please, father," she whispered again, and rubbed her soft cheek against his great arm, and he laughed again, and looked at her as a man looks at the apple of his eye.
"Well," said he, "do as you like, Pretty." With that the little Lucina sprang eagerly forward before Jerome, who, hardly certain whether he were dismissed or not, yet eager to be gone, was edging towards the outer door, and held out to him her little hand curved into a sweet hollow like a cup of pearl, all full of silver coins.
Jerome looked at her, gave a quick, shamed glance at the little outstretched hand, colored red, and began backing away.
But Lucina pressed forward, thrusting in his very face her little precious cup of treasure.

"Please take this, boy," said she, and her voice rang soft and sweet as a silver flute.

"It is money I've been saving up to buy a parrot.

But a parrot is a noisy bird, mother says, and maybe I could not love it as well as I love my lamb, and so its feelings would be hurt.