id go. I had never been in the Chassertons' house
before. It was a nice little place, and it was all decked out like a
doll's house with Dorothea's wedding presents. I amused myself very well
by walking round the room looking at them all. They weren't very well
arranged. There was a corner cupboard with glass doors, filled with
china, and it was all mixty-maxty. Blue or plain-coloured china on the
same shelf as many-coloured Dresden or oriental. (I know something about
china, and I mean to know more before I've done with it.) The key was
in the lock, and I couldn't resist opening the doors and moving one or
two pieces to see how much better they might look.

But just then Dorothea called me over to tea. She was a sensible girl.
She'd had some bread-and-butter and jam ready spread, thicker than those
silly wafer slices ladies eat, and the jam was my favourite--strawberry.
I felt very comfortable. I was glad I'd made mother come. She looked
brighter.

I spoke to Cousin Dorothea about the bad way her china was arranged.

'Yes,' she said, 'I know it is.'

She spoke quite gravely, but still I thought I saw a kind of a smile go
round the corners of her mouth. I suppose she was thinking it was very
funny for a boy to care how china was arranged. I don't see why. Boys
have got eyes, and some of them have got good taste--more than some
girls.

'It was washed while we were away,' she said, 'and the housemaid put it
all in, according to the size of the things, I suppose. Nothing to do
with the colour or kinds.'

'I've moved a few of them,' I said; 'they look better already. You've
got some nice bits; there are one or two very old; I think I saw some
Worcester.'

'How learned you are, Jack!' said Dorothea.

But I didn't see it. Nothing's easier than to pick up a smattering--just
enough to tell one cup from another, and to seem very wise about it. I
didn't mean to do that.

'No,' I said; 'I'm not. There's one cup I can't make out at all.'

'Do you mean the one with the deep purplish flowers?' said she. 'Oh, it
is sharp of you to have spotted that one! No one knows for certain what
it is; it was given me by an old servant of ours who married and went to
live up in Yorkshire; and once when we were at Harrogate we went to see
her. She said there were a few old pieces of it in the cottage her
husband and she lived at when they were first married, and she gave us
each one for a keepsake.'

'Was she your nurse?' asked mother