And then came the serious question of what Charity and Hope would like.
Charity said they would like to choose themselves.
"If you don't think it will cost too much money," she said, "I would like a glass book-case, because I'm collecting a library, and by the time I grow up, I shall have a splendid lot of books. And it would stand at one end of our schoolroom. There would just be room for it."
"Oh, what fun it will be buying!" said Faith, clapping her hands. "Of course you can have the book-case. And now Hope?"
Hope walked round the room considering.
"Of course I would really like a big dog," she said; "but Aunt Alice wouldn't hear of that. Why, Faith, I know what we want. That is a proper saddle for Topsy. If you could give me that, we could all ride him."
"But that wouldn't be for you then," Faith objected. "I can give myself that. It can be got for us all, besides the Christmas presents."
And then Hope thought she would like a complete set of garden tools. So Faith put that down.
When once her list of Christmas presents was finished she felt happier. And daily she became stronger, until very soon she was able to take part in lessons again, and in the walks that her sisters took every day.
Time sped away. Aunt Alice wrote to the Pirate about the cheque, and promptly received another back in place of it. December came, a bright, cold December, and they had their first fall of snow. It was too cold to play in the orchard, and they were content to run along briskly out of doors.