Winifred found Jack in a very doleful mood. "What made you stay so long?" he murmured, "I think it is too bad in you to leave me for that old woman!" "I have only been away three hours, Jack," replied Winifred. "The poor old dame is down with rheumatism, and has no one to attend upon her, while you have all the house to wait upon you." "It is all the fault of that old magpie. Grandfather ought to have had the tree cut down!" "It was not the tree's fault, nor the poor magpie's either," remarked Priscy, who had just come in. "I am sure the poor bird never asked you to rob her nest. You should have minded the master and left the tree alone, and then you might have been helping to gather the apples this day, instead of lying here groaning and making ever so much trouble." "Well, never mind, Priscy!" said Winifred, gently. "Jack will be wiser another time. See here, Jack, what fine apples I picked up as I came through the orchard. I will ask mother to let me roast one for you, and when I go up to the Hall to-morrow, I will ask Mrs. Alwright to send you something nice. I am sure she will, for she said she was very sorry for you. Come now, don't cry any more, and I will read you a story out of my new book." Winnie's gentleness and kindness finally soothed poor Jack and got him to sleep. And Winnie then delivered a small lecture to Priscilla. "You should not tease poor Jack, now that he is ill and helpless. It only makes him fret, and I am sure it does him no good. You are not always careful yourself any more than Jack. Do you remember how you would go to Bridgewater fair, in the rain, despite all my mother and grandfather could say? You would not have thought it very kind, when you were sick with your cold and ague afterwards, if my mother had all the time reproached you with the trouble you gave, though your illness was far more inconvenient than Jack's, coming as it did in the midst of sheep-shearing." "And that is true indeed, Mrs. Winifred!" said Priscilla, a little conscience-stricken. "The dear mistress—she never gave me a word all the time, and nursed me as I had been her own sister. But then, dear me, I never expect to be as good as you and the mistress." "I don't see why not, Priscy. I don't see any reason why you should not be as good as the best saint that ever lived!" "No, I dare say you don't, because you judge other folks by yourself. But, Mrs. Winnie, my dear, I will not tease poor Jack any more. I will go to the mistress this minute, and ask her if I may not make the poor lad a nice custard against he wakes. I am sure a custard cannot hurt him." Permission was given, and Jack and Priscilla were soon good friends over the custard. When every one else had gone to bed, Winifred related to her mother the adventure of the afternoon. Dame Magdalen shuddered at thought of the peril. "It was indeed a wonderful escape, and you are a wonderful child," said she. "I fear I could never have kept myself quiet as you did."