‘So did my father, and he led the soldiers through a battle.’

’My father will fight in twenty battles before he dies, and yours only fought in one.’

‘My father is in heaven, and that’s the grandest place to be in.’

Coming to this climax was too much for Nancy, and the thoughts of that place of which they had been having so much talk subdued their rising ire.

Teddy said reproachfully, after a minute’s silence, ’Ipse was nearly getting angry with you then.  You’re such a dreadful girl for making me quarrel with you.’

‘You won’t let me say my father is as good as yours,’ protested Nancy.

’He isn’t better.  Yes—­don’t get angry, Nancy; let’s say they’re just the same.’

And with this admission Nancy was for the time pacified.

Before they parted she looked at her little companion with solemn eyes.

’I won’t promise, but I’ll think about belonging to the Captain.  I should like to go to heaven.’

It was one day soon after this that Teddy was straying over the fields in his happy, careless fashion; fond as he was of games with the village boys, often there were times when he liked his own society best, and he wandered on talking to himself, and gathering grass and wild-flowers as he went.  His quick eyes soon noted some sheep making their way through a gap in the hedge, and from thence they were going through an open gate into the high road.

‘Those are Farmer Green’s sheep,’ quoth he to himself.  ’I’m glad of it—­horrid old man he is!  No, Ipse, be quiet; that isn’t the way to think of him.  I’ll go and drive them back again!’

And he trotted off with this intention; but it is much more difficult to get sheep into their rightful place than out of it, and this Teddy found to his cost.  His face was hot and red, his voice hoarse with shouting, and then, to his consternation, Farmer Green appeared on the scene.

‘You young vagabond,’ he shouted, springing towards him, a thick stick in hand, ’leave my sheep alone!  How dare you come on my premises?  You’re always after some fresh trick or other.’

Teddy stood still till he came up to him, then looked up frankly at him.

’Indeed, sir, I was trying to drive them back through their hole again.  Look, that’s where they broke through.’

‘A likely story!  Much more probable you made the hole yourself.’

Teddy’s blood rushed into his face.  ‘I never tell a lie!’ he cried, ’and you’re a—­’

He stopped, and hung his head in shame at the word that almost slipped from him.

Jonathan Green looked curiously at him.

‘Now may I ask what the end of that speech was going to be?’ he said grimly.

Teddy looked up.  ’Ipse was going to say you was a liar yourself, but I just stopped him in time.’

‘I shall believe you have a bee in your bonnet, as some folks say,’ said the farmer; ’pray, if the sheep came out of their proper field, what business was that of yours?’