Thomas Dawson was head gardener at “The Grange,” Sir Henry Weston’s beautiful country-house, which lay a little distance beyond Springbrook station.  Just outside the station were four cross-roads with a signpost in the middle of them to tell you where each one led.  If you stood close to the signpost and faced the station, the road exactly behind you led down to Springbrook green and village, while the one on your right led along a wide flat road to “The Grange,” and on, past that, through villages and towns until at last it reached the sea; and the road on your left led past “Sunnyside Cottage,” and then on to Norton.  This was the road that Jessie knew best, the one she had first walked with her grandfather on her way home that first evening.

From Miss Barley’s house to the signpost was a very short distance, and here it was that Jessie and her grandfather were to meet every day and walk home together.  Yet not every day, for Saturday, being a busy day for most people, was to be a whole holiday from lessons.

Miss Grace Barley had to gather flowers for the church and arrange them in the vases on Saturday mornings, and Miss Barley had extra things to do in the house and to go to Norton by train to do her shopping, and Jessie had to help her grandmother clean up the cottage and make all bright and neat for Sunday; so that it was nice and convenient for every one that Saturday should be a holiday from lessons.

On that first morning, when Jessie stood at Miss Barley’s door and knocked, she felt very glad indeed to think that the day after to-morrow was Saturday and a whole holiday, for she felt very shy and rather frightened, and she longed to be back at home again with her granny and grandfather.  In fact, she was just edging towards the gate, with her mind almost made up to run home, when the door opened, and Miss Grace herself appeared.  Miss Grace had on a hat and a large pair of gardening gloves, and in her hand she held a basket and the biggest pair of scissors Jessie had ever seen.

“Oh, Jessie!” she said, “you are just in time.  I am going out to gather some flowers, and you will be able to help me.  Come in, dear—­no, we will not go in yet, we will go first and get the flowers, or the sun will be on them.”

Jessie’s frightened little face grew quite cheerful again.  She thought this a delightful way of doing lessons, and marched along happily enough at Miss Grace’s side, soon forgetting all her shyness in helping her to pick out the handsomest stocks and the finest roses.  When the basket was full Miss Grace led the way to a window which opened down to the ground.

“This is my very own sitting-room,” she said, as she stepped through the open window; “don’t you think I ought to be very happy here?”

“Oh yes!” sighed Jessie, as she looked about her at the flowers, the pictures, and all the pretty things.  “I shouldn’t ever want to go away from it if it was mine.”