Susy poured out a cup of tea, drank it off at a gulp, snatched a piece of bread-and-butter from the plate, and sat down to prepare her lessons at another table.  She had two hours’ hard work before her, and it was already nearly six o’clock.  The quarry was a little distance away, and she must tidy herself and do all sorts of things.  Just then her mother came in.

“Oh, Susy,” she said, “I am so glad you have come!  I want you to attend to the shop for the next hour.  I am sent for in a hurry to my sister’s; she has a bad cold, and wants me to call in.  I think little Peter is not well; your aunt is afraid he is catching measles.  Run into the shop the moment you have finished your tea, like a good child.  You can take one of your lesson-books with you if you like.  There won’t be many customers at this hour.”

“Oh, mother, I did really want to work hard at my lessons.  They are very difficult, you know, and you promised that when I went to the Great Shirley School you’d never interfere with my lesson hours.”

“I did say so, and of course I don’t mean to interfere; but this is a special case.”

“Can’t Tommy go and stand in the shop?  If any special customers come in I will attend to them.”

“No, Tommy can’t.  He has a headache and is lying down upstairs.  You must oblige me this time, Susy.  You can sit up a little longer to-night to finish your lessons if you are much interrupted while I am away.”

“You are sure you will not be more than an hour, mother?”

“Oh, certain.”

“And I suppose in any case I may shut up the shop at seven o’clock, mayn’t I?”

“Shut the shop at seven o’clock!” said Mrs. Hopkins.  “You forget that this is Wednesday.  We always keep the shop, except the post-office part, open until past nine on Wednesdays; such a lot of people come in for odds and ends on this special night.  But I will be back long before nine.  Don’t on any account shut the shop until I appear.”

Susy, feeling cross and miserable, all her bright hopes dashed to the ground, took a couple of books and went into the shop and sat behind the counter.  The days were getting short and cold, and as the shop door was opened there was a thorough draught where she was sitting.  Her feet grew icy cold; she could scarcely follow the meaning of her somewhat difficult lessons.  No customers appeared.

“How stupid I am!” thought the little girl.  “This will never do.”

She roused herself, and bending forward, propped her book open before her.  Presently she heard the clock outside strike seven.

“Mother will be back now, thank goodness!” she thought.  “If I work desperately hard, and stop my ears so that I needn’t hear a sound, I may have done by nine o’clock.”

Just at that moment two ladies came in to ask for a special sort of stationery.  Susy, who was never in the least interested in the shop, did not know where to find it.  She rummaged about, making a great mess amongst her mother’s neat stores; and finally she was obliged to say that she did not know where it was.