"I've brought thee a present." "A present!" exclaimed Mistress Mary.

How could a cottage full of fourteen hungry people give any one a present! "A man was drivin' across the moor peddlin'," Martha explained.

"An' he stopped his cart at our door.

He had pots an' pans an' odds an' ends, but mother had no money to buy anythin'.

Just as he was goin' away our 'Lizabeth Ellen called out, 'Mother, he's got skippin'-ropes with red an' blue handles.' An' mother she calls out quite sudden, 'Here, stop, mister! How much are they ?' An' he says 'Tuppence', an' mother she began fumblin' in her pocket an' she says to me, 'Martha, tha's brought me thy wages like a good lass, an' I've got four places to put every penny, but I'm just goin' to take tuppence out of it to buy that child a skippin'-rope,' an' she bought one an' here it is." She brought it out from under her apron and exhibited it quite proudly.
It was a strong, slender rope with a striped red and blue handle at each end, but Mary Lennox had never seen a skipping-rope before.