“I saw big Ben poking his fire,” answered Hetty after a moment’s reflection.  “He put me out, and then I saw him hurting the horses’ feet with his hammer.  I wanted the horses to come along with me, but they shook their heads and stayed where they were.  Then I tried to catch the butterflies, and they flew right past my eyes.  And I thought the yellow lilies could fly too, and they wouldn’t.  Then I pulled their heads off—­”

“And were you not at school at all?” asked Mrs. Ford.  “Well, well, Hetty, you are wild.  If you saw my little boys going so good to their school!  What more did you do, Hetty?”

“I went into school, and schoolmistress put me in a corner.  Then I drew marks with my tears on the wall; and afterwards I said my spelling.  And I came home and got some daisies; and I saw Charlie Ford standing in the pond with his shoes and stockings on.”

“Oh my! oh my! well I never!” cried Mrs. Ford, snatching up her bonnet, and getting ready to go home in a hurry.  “Charley in the pond with his shoes and stockings on!  It seems, Mrs. Kane, that I’ve been praising him too soon!”

While Mrs. Ford was running down the road after Charley, Mrs. Enderby, up at Wavertree Hall, was directing her servants to carry the table for tea out upon the lawn under the wide-spreading beech-trees; and her two little daughters, Phyllis aged eight and Nell aged seven, were hovering about waiting to place baskets of flowers and strawberries on the embroidered cloth.  Mrs. Rushton, sister-in-law of Mrs. Enderby and aunt of the children, was spending the afternoon at the Hall, having come a distance of some miles to do so.

Mrs. Enderby was a tall graceful lady, with a pale, gentle, but rather cold face; her dress was severely simple and almost colourless; her voice was sweet.  Mrs. Rushton was unlike her in every respect, low in size, plump, smiling, and dressed in the most becoming and elegant fashion.  Mrs. Enderby spoke slowly and with deliberation; Mrs. Rushton kept chattering incessantly.

“Well, Amy,” said the former, “I hope you will talk to William about it, and perhaps he may induce you to change your mind.  Here he is,” as a gentleman was seen coming across the lawn.

Mrs. Rushton shrugged her shoulders.  “My dear Isabel,” she said, “I do not see what William has to do with it.  I am my own mistress, and surely old enough to judge for myself.”

The two little girls sprang to meet their father, and dragged him by the hands up to the tea-table.

“William,” said Mrs. Enderby, “I want you to remonstrate with Amy.”

“It seems to me I am always remonstrating with Amy,” said Mr. Enderby smiling; “what wickedness is she meditating now?”

Mrs. Rushton laughed gaily, dipped a fine strawberry into cream and ate it.  Her laugh was pleasant, and she had a general air of good humour and self-complacency about her which some people mistook for exceeding amiability.