the nursery-window there grew a Pride of China Tree, and it filled
all the window with small, green, moving leaves--''

Then Bessie Bell just let the lady draw her up close, and she leaned
up against the lady.

She felt so happy now, for she knew she had found the Wisest Woman
in the world, for this lady knew the things that little girls only
could remember. If she had thought about it she would have told the
lady about the tiny apple-trees with the very, very small apples on
them, and other rows of apple-trees over those, and other rows on
top of those, and on top of all a row of big round red apples.

Then the lady might have said: Yes, there were apple-trees like that
in the world, for all the nursery walls were papered like that, with
a row of big round red apples at the top.

But Bessie Bell did not think of or remember that then; she just
leaned up against the lady and swung one of her little feet up and
down, back and forth, as she sat on the stone bench: she was so
happy to have met the Wisest Woman in the world.

The people who passed by looked, and turned to look again, at the
little girl in the stiff-starched, faded blue checked apron leaning
up against the lady in the crisp, dull silk.

But Bessie Bell did not look at anybody who passed.

And the lady did not look at anybody who passed.