Old Sally, in spite of a long life of hard work, was still straight and wiry, and her brown old face, wrinkled as a withered nut, was lively and shrewd. There was only one point in which Anne had the advantage, and that was in hearing, for her mother was very deaf, and obliged to use a trumpet. This she was always shy of producing, and to-day she allowed Anne to scream into her ear what the children said for some time; but at last, seeing a very earnest expression on Maisie's face, she took the trumpet out with a bashful smile and presented the end to her. "Do you know any one who wants a kitten?" shouted Maisie. Old Sally laid down the trumpet and turned to Anne, who as usual sat at her elbow in her lilac sun-bonnet and coarse apron. "Warn't our Eliza talking of cats last time she was over?" she asked. Anne nodded. "Who's Eliza?" inquired Dennis. "Why, sure you know our Eliza, Master Dennis," said old Sally. "Her as married the tinsmith, and went to live in Upwell town. Eliza's my youngest darter but two. Don't you mind her wedding?" "Lor, mother!" said Anne, "Master Dennis and Miss Maisie warn't living at Fieldside then. It's a good twelve years ago.--Mother forgets things like that," she added aside to the children, "though she's a wonderful memory for ancient things." "Would it be a good home, do you think?" said Maisie to Dennis in a low tone. "Is your daughter Eliza a kind woman?" shouted Dennis down the trumpet. Old Sally dropped her trumpet and raised both her withered hands on high. "Kind! Master Dennis. Eliza's downright silly about dumb animals. She always was from a gal." "We don't want her to be silly," said Dennis, "but we do want her to be kind, because we've promised Aunt Katharine to find a good home." Both old Sally and Anne were full of assurances as to Eliza's kindness and the comforts which would surround the grey kitten in her house. Certainly it would have to catch mice, but that, they declared, was a pleasure to a cat, and could not be called hard work. So after a little consultation it was settled that the kitten should be brought to old Sally's, and that Eliza should take it back to Upwell the very next time she came over to see her mother. The grey kitten had a home at last. This arrangement made, Dennis got up briskly, with a business-like air. "I'm going to see Tuvvy now," he said. "I'll come back for you presently, Maisie;" and he was almost out of the door before he was stopped by a call from Anne. "You'll not find him to-day, Master Dennis," she said. "He's not at work." "Not at work!" repeated Dennis, turning round with a downcast face. "Why isn't he at work? Is he ill?" Old Sally had been screwing up her lips and shaking her head solemnly ever since Tuvvy's name had been mentioned. At Dennis's question her face looked full of dark meaning.