On the morning of her eighth birthday, Rosalie received from the
Miss Pockets by post an illuminated text provided with a piece of
red cord for hanging on the wall and inquiring, rather abruptly,
"Who Hath Believed Our Report?"
Rosalie thought at first this was a plaintive question directly
from the Miss Pockets in their capacity as school-teachers and
therefore as licensed makers of reports; but immediately afterwards
saw "Isaiah" printed under it in discreet characters--
"Who Hath Believed our Report?
--Isaiah."
and concluded that it was Isaiah who had believed it. On the back
was written in the tall, thin handwriting of the Miss Pockets, "To
our dear little pupil Rosalie, on her eighth birthday, from Agnes
and Lydia Pocket."
In the afternoon, the Miss Pockets called at the rectory and there
was evidently some high mystery about their visit. Rosalie was in
the study looking for a drawing pin wherewith to affix her illuminated
card to the wall. Hilda ran in. "The Miss Pockets. Where's father?
Come out," and Rosalie was hurriedly run out and shut into the
dining-room, leaving the vindication of Isaiah in the matter of
the report on the table. Opening the door to a chink, Rosalie saw
the Miss Pockets, shivering, the permanent decoration on the nose
of the elder Miss Pocket very conspicuous and agitatedly swinging,
ushered into the study, and presently her father follow his jutty
nose into the study after them, and very shortly after that the
Miss Pockets driven out as it were by the jutty nose and looking
thinner and colder than ever before.
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