Madam Corbet has given me a beautiful present—namely, a gold locket containing a fair likeness of her son, which he had painted when he was abroad in the Low Countries. It has a gold chain attached, and I wear it round my neck under my kerchief. Having a chance to send to Exeter this day by Mr. Penrose, I have written a long letter to mother, for Mrs. Carey to send with her own to her son. But this writing is cold work. I would I could kneel down by her and tell her all. The sick robin is getting well, and is very tame and playful, perching on Launce's back and plucking at his ears, to Betty's great delight, more than to the poor dog's, but he takes all patiently, as he would anything which pleased his mistress. He has fairly made good his entrance into her heart, and I believe she loves him quite as well as ever she did Gill, though she will not own as much. I can see that her father's hasty words still rankle in her heart, though she never speaks of them directly. Yesterday eve, going down into the kitchen, I found all the servants looking on with great interest at a charm old Dame Penberthy was preparing, to learn whether the new-comer was to be boy or girl. She had found a stone with a hole therein, which she was suspending by a string, and with many ceremonies, over the door; and the first person who enters in the morning, whether man or woman, tells the sex of the babe. I told her of our old country charm to the same effect, made by burning a blade bone of mutton; and as they had one for supper, she must needs try that also. The maids would have had her hang her charms over some other door, because they said Peggy the milkwoman was always the first one to enter the kitchen, but she said no, it must needs be the kitchen door, and no other. "What is the use of the pebble with a hole in it?" asked Thomas, who is an old soldier, and a bit of a Sadducee, I should fancy. "Why would not any other stone do as well?" "Because it wont!" answered the dame, shortly. "How can I tell why, any more than why one who finds four-leaved clovers should always be lucky?" "Then should I be the luckiest person in the world!" said I. "For I am always finding them." "And so you are, and will be!" answered the old dame, looking earnestly in my face. "'Tis written on your very forehead. Any one may see that you have brought luck to this house, and so you will to any house you enter." "Many thanks, dame, for the prediction!" said I. "Methinks I shall never want happiness myself, in that case. But now I want to ask a favor of you. I know there is no hand equal to yours in clear-starching, and I want you to wash and do up for me the robe I have been working for my Lady." "That I will—that I will, dear heart!" said the old woman. "And I hope I may live to do as much for yourself, on the like joyful occasion!"