So she sat down to tea with the perfect composure of submission to a superior will.

It never occurred to her that she had no right to be there; for had not the minister himself led her there?
And his daughters were very kind and friendly.

In the course of the meal, Mr Cowie having told them the difficulty he was in, they said that perhaps they might be able to find what she wanted, or something that might take the place of it; and after tea, one of them brought two volumes of ballads of all sorts, some old, some new, some Scotch, some English, and put them into Annie's hands, asking her if that book would do.

The child eagerly opened one of the volumes, and glanced at a page: It sparkled with the right ore of ballad-words.

The Red, the colour always of delight, grew in her face.