One evening when the show was not open, Nell and her grandfather went out for a walk. As soon as they were clear of the town they took a foot-path which ran through some pleasant fields, and wandered on till sunset, when they stopped to rest. The sky was dark and lowering. Large drops of rain soon began to fall, and before long the storm clouds came sailing onward, and spread over all the sky. Soon was heard the low rumbling of distant thunder, and the lightning quivered through the darkness. Fearful of taking shelter beneath a tree or hedge, the old man and the child hurried along the highroad. They hoped to find some house in which to seek a refuge from the storm. Drenched by the pelting rain, and blinded by the lightning, they would have passed a house without noticing it had not a man, who was standing at the door, called out to them to enter. "What were you going past for, eh?" he added, as he closed the door and led the way along a passage to a room behind. "We didn’t see the house, sir, till we heard you calling," Nell replied. "No wonder," said the man, "with this lightning in one’s eyes. By-the-bye you had better stand by the fire here, and dry yourselves a bit. You can call for what you like if you want anything. If you don’t want anything, no matter. Don’t be afraid of that. This is a public-house, that’s all. The ’Valiant Soldier,’ by James Groves, is pretty well known hereabouts." The night being warm, there was a large screen drawn across the room to keep in the heat of the fire. From the other side of this screen came the sound of voices. Nell and her grandfather listened to them for a few moments. Then the old man said hastily in a whisper,— "Nell, they’re—they’re playing cards. Don’t you hear them?" "Look sharp with that candle," said a voice; "it’s as much as I can do to see the cards as it is. Game! Seven-and-sixpence to me, old Isaac. Hand over." "Do you hear, Nell—do you hear them?" whispered the old man again, as the money chinked upon the table. The child looked at the old man with alarm. His face was red and eager, his eyes were strained, his teeth set, his breath came short and thick, and the hand he laid upon her arm shook like a leaf. "What money have we, Nell? Come, I saw you with money yesterday. What money have we? Give it to me." "No, no; let me keep it, grandfather," said the poor child. "Let us go away from here. Do not mind the rain. Pray let us go." "Give it to me, I say," cried the old man fiercely. "Hush, hush! don’t cry, Nell. If I spoke sharply, dear, I didn’t mean it. It’s for thy good. I have wronged thee, Nell, but I will right thee yet; I will, indeed. Where is the money?" "Do not take it," said the child. "Pray do not take it, dear. For both our sakes let me keep it, or let me throw it away; better let me throw it away than you take it now. Let us go; do let us go."