‘Not unless Great-Grannie finds out I’ve got you an’ makes me,’ said the child, putting the purse very carefully into the unbleached pocket. ‘I hope she won’t go looking into it when she comes up to bed.’
‘Can’t you hide the pocket somewhere?’ asked the little voice anxiously.
‘I can put it into the big chest here by the window,’ said Gerna, looking around the mean little chamber, which was very bare. ‘A storm washed it in on the bar last winter, and Great-Gran don’t keep nothing in it but her best clothes.’
‘Then put me into the chest,’ piped the little voice. ‘And please come and take me out to-morrow as soon as you can. It cheers me to hear the voice of a friend, and I believe you are a true friend, you dear little maid!’
The child dropped the pocket into the great sea-chest very quickly, for the ancient dame again called up the stairs to ask if she were in bed, and then came up to see if she were.
Great-Grannie did not get up until quite late the next day, and when she did she sent Gerna to the beach to pick limpets for the ducks, and Gelert to weed the small potato plot at the back of the cottage, a work he hated doing.
When the little girl got to the bay the tide was only half-way down, and it was ever so long before she could get near the limpet rocks. But as soon as the tide let her she began her limpet-picking, and never looked round once.
Her basket was half full when she heard a sharp little voice behind her.
‘Have you found the purse I told you of?’
‘I haven’t looked yet to-day,’ said the child, without glancing round. ‘I lost all my limpets yesterday through picking up Piskey-purses, an’ my Great-Grannie was ever so cross. She sent me to bed without any supper; an’ the poor little ducks had to go without their supper too.’