And then Josie sprang up and surprised her by clasping her tightly round the neck.
"Don't be against me! I'm sorry. I'll never do it again."
Anstice held her in her arms and her kiss of forgiveness was very tender.
"We will forget all about it. But don't be mischievous in God's House again. You would not play tricks if you were taken inside Buckingham Palace to see the King and Queen. And church is a more important place than any king's palace. It belongs to God, who is the King of Kings."
Then she kissed her, and left her, but there was no fear of Josie behaving badly in church again.
Anstice was slowly but surely winning the children's love, and her displeasure was already more to be feared in their eyes than any punishment.
[CHAPTER VIII]
A LONELY GIRL
ONE day Anstice took one of her long rambles over the Fells. Rain had kept her in the house for over a week. She felt that mentally and physically she needed a change of environment. Holidays were coming soon, and then she knew that she would be much less free to absent herself for hours from her household.
The clear air and fresh mountain breezes braced and refreshed her. Hercules accompanied her, and with him as companion, she never felt lonely. She wanted to reach a certain remote lake which she had been told was very picturesque, so she started early in the morning and took a packet of sandwiches with her. She had to get across to the other side of the lake before she started up the Fells. Stephen rowed her across in the boat, and promised to come over again to row her back about three o'clock in the afternoon.