Carefully dish after dish was taken from the closet and set out for the
Bobbsey twins to look at. They did not venture to so much as touch one.
The china seemed too easily broken for that.

"I should think you'd have to be very careful when you washed those
dishes," remarked Nan, as she saw how light glowed through the side of
one of the thin cups.

"Oh, I am," answered Miss Pompret. "No one ever washes this set but me.
My maid is very careful, but I would not allow her to touch a single
piece. I don't use it very often. Only when some old and dear friends
come to see me is the Pompret china used. And then I am sorry to say, I
can not use the whole set."

"Why not?" asked Bert. "Are you afraid they'll break it?"

"Oh no," and Miss Pompret smiled. "I'm not afraid of that. But you see I
haven't the whole set, so I can't show it all. One of the sorrows of my
life is that part of my beautiful set of china is missing."

"There's a lot of it, though," added Bert, as he saw a number of shelves
covered with the rare plates, cups and saucers.

"Yes, but the sugar bowl and cream pitcher are missing," went on Miss
Pompret, with a shake of her white head. "They were beautiful. But,
alas! they are missing." And she sighed deeply.

"Where are they?" asked Nan.