"'So am I, my darling!' rejoined Uncle Peter, and followed her example.

"'So am I,' said I, 'but I don't mean to cry about it.' And then I did.

"We all had one cup of tea, and some bread and butter in silence after
this. But when Chrissy had poured out the second cup for Uncle Peter, she
began of her own accord to tell us her story.

"'It was very foggy when we came out of school that afternoon, as you may
remember, dear uncle.'

"'Indeed I do,' answered Uncle Peter with a sigh.

"'I was coming along the way home with Bessie--you know Bessie, uncle--and
we stopped to look in at a bookseller's window where the gas was lighted.
It was full of Christmas things already. One of them I thought very
pretty, and I was standing staring at it, when all at once I saw that a
big drabby woman had poked herself in between Bessie and me. She was
staring in at the window too. She was so nasty that I moved away a little
from her, but I wanted to have one more look at the picture. The woman
came close to me. I moved again. Again she pushed up to me. I looked in
her face, for I was rather cross by this time. A horrid feeling, I cannot
tell you what it was like, came over me as soon as I saw her. I know how
it was now, but I did not know then why I was frightened. I think she saw
I was frightened; for she instantly walked against me, and shoved and
hustled me round the corner--it was a corner-shop--and before I knew, I
was in another street. It was dark and narrow. Just at the moment a man
came from the opposite side and joined the woman. Then they caught hold of
my hands, and before my fright would let me speak, I was deep into the
narrow lane, for they ran with me as fast as they could. Then I began to