"Oh, Nelly!" said Mrs. Vandake, who was busy making cakes in the kitchen, and was just in the act of drawing some most tempting ginger-cakes from the oven, "I declare, it is too bad! You have come for your book, I suppose; and I forgot all about it. I don't see how I can look for it now," she added, seeing how disappointed Nelly looked. "I put all Tony's books away somewhere, I know, for I thought they might be useful to some other child; but I cannot now remember where they are. Here are some cakes for you, and I will try and have the book ready when you come again."
Nelly went away but half consoled for her disappointment by the hot ginger-nuts with which Mrs. Vandake filled her pocket.
"Well, I don't know what I might do," said she; "but it seems to me that if I made any one a promise I would try to keep it."
Mrs. Vandake had fully intended to keep her promise to Nelly about the books. She always did intend to keep her promises when she made them; but something was very apt to happen which put them out of her head till the time came for their fulfilment. The something which happened to-day was the arrival of visitors from the country.
When Nelly brought the milk that evening, she looked wistfully at Mrs. Vandake as she turned it out, and lingered a few minutes afterwards.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" said Mrs. Vandake, coming back into the kitchen and seeing Nelly still standing in the door.
"About my book, please," said Nelly.
"Oh, your book!" returned Mrs. Vandake, rather sharply. "Don't tease about it, child. I told you I would get it for you as soon as I could; and you should not ask me over and over again so. Beggars mustn't be choosers."
Mrs. Vandake would have deeply regretted her words had she known how Nelly was wounded by them, for she was as good-natured as she was careless. But she was rather annoyed at being reminded of her forgotten promise, and, as she was apt to do, she said the first thing which came into her head, without stopping to think of its effect on her hearer.
Nelly looked at her for a moment, and then turned and went away without a word.