round with shining stones--diamonds, though I knew nothing of diamonds
then. The enamel was cracked, and I followed every crack as well as
every figure of the hours. Then I began to wonder what I could do with
it next. I was not satisfied. Possession I found was not bliss: it had
not rendered me content. But it was as yet imperfect: I had not seen
the inside. Grannie had told me not to open it: I began to think it
hard that I should be denied thorough possession of what had been given
to me, I believed I should be quite satisfied if I once saw what made
it go. I turned it over and over, thinking I might at least find how it
was opened. I have little doubt if I had discovered the secret of it,
my virtue would have failed me. All I did find, however, was the head
of a curious animal engraved on the handle. This was something. I
examined it as carefully as the rest, and then finding I had for the
time exhausted the pleasures of the watch, I turned to the seals. On
one of them was engraved what looked like letters, but I could not read
them. I did not know that they were turned the wrong way. One of them
was like a W. On the other seal--there were but two and a
curiously-contrived key--I found the same head as was engraved on the
handle--turned the other way of course. Wearied at length, I took the
precious thing into the dark closet, and laid it in a little box which
formed one of my few possessions. I then wandered out into the field,
and went straying about until dinner-time, during which I believe I
never once lifted my eyes to the place where the sword had hung, lest
even that action should betray the watch.

From that day my head, and as much of my heart as might be, were filled
with the watch. And, alas! I soon found that my bookmending had grown
distasteful to me, and for the satisfaction of employment, possession
was a poor substitute. As often as I made the attempt to resume it, I
got weary, and wandered almost involuntarily to the closet to feel for