"O I'll get that."

And the little speaker, a girl of some ten or eleven years old, dashed
past the old gentleman and running along the narrow passage which led to
his room soon returned with the hat in her hand.

"Yes, dear,--but that ain't all. I must put on my great-coat--and I must
look and see if I can find any money--"

"O yes--for the post-office. It's a beautiful day, grandpa. Cynthy!--won't
you come and help grandpa on with his great-coat?--And I'll go out and
keep watch of the old mare till you're ready."

A needless caution. For the old mare, though spirited enough for her
years, had seen some fourteen or fifteen of them and was in no sort of
danger of running away. She stood in what was called the back meadow, just
without the little paling fence that enclosed a small courtyard round the
house. Around this courtyard rich pasture-fields lay on every side, the
high road cutting through them not more than a hundred or two feet from
the house.

The little girl planted herself on the outside of the paling and setting
her back to it eyed the old mare with great contentment; for besides other
grounds for security as to her quiet behaviour, one of the men employed
about the farm, who had harnessed the equipage, was at the moment busied
in putting some clean straw in the bottom of the vehicle.

"Watkins," said the child presently to this person, "here is a strap that
is just ready to come unbuckled."