“I want you to lend me your Bible,” he said, wriggling himself about.  “I want to take it to church with me.”

This was the last thing Nanna had expected the boy to ask, for, of course, Timmy had a Bible of his own, a beautiful thin-paper Bible, which she herself had given him on his seventh birthday, having first asked his mother’s leave if she might do so.  The Bible was in perfect condition.  It stood on a little mat on his chest of drawers, and not long before her accident Nanna had gone into his bedroom, opened the sacred Book, and gazed with pleasure on the inscription, written in her own large, unformed handwriting, on the first page: 

  Timothy Godfrey Radmore Tosswill on his seventh birthday from his
  loving nurse,

  Emily Pew.

All this being so, his mother, or even his sister, Betty, would at once have enquired, “Why don’t you take your own Bible to church?” But somehow Nanna thought it best not to put this question, for a lie, shocking on any day, is more shocking than usual, or so she thought, if uttered on a Sunday.  So, after a moment’s hesitation, she replied:  “Certainly, Master Timmy, if such is your wish.  But I trust you will be very careful with it, my dear.”

“I will be very, very careful!” he exclaimed.  “And I will bring it straight back to you up here after church.”

He threw her a grateful look.  He did more, and Nanna felt amply rewarded as he climbed up on her bed and, putting his arms round her neck, kissed her on each cheek.

“I hope,” she said impressively, “that you are going to be a good boy in church—­a boy that Nurse can be proud of.”

Nanna never called herself “Nanna” to the children.

“I am always very good in church,” cried Timmy, offended.  “I don’t see why you should go and spoil everything by saying that!” With these cryptic words he slid off the bed, taking with him the large old-fashioned Bible which always lay by Nanna’s bedside.

Dolly, and Rosamund, who was Dolly’s stable-companion, were attending the service held by Dolly’s fiance, Lionel Barton, in the next parish.  As for Betty, her heart was very full, and as she did her morning’s work and while she dressed herself for church, she still felt as if she was living through a wonderful dream.

Jack, who did not always go to church, had elected to go to-day; so had Tom and Godfrey; and thus, in spite of the absence of the two younger girls, quite a considerable party filed into the Tosswill pew.

All the people belonging to Old Place were far too much absorbed in their own thoughts on this rather strange Sunday morning to give any thought to Timmy.  So it was that he managed, after a moment’s thought, to place himself between his father and his godfather.  He judged, rightly, that neither of them would be likely to pay much attention to him or to his doings.