the next morning as soon as he heard the step of John in
the garden, and was very soon with him, asking him what he could do to
help him. Henry loved to help John.

John did not answer in his own cheerful way, but said:

"I don't know, Master Henry; it can't much matter now, I reckon, what
we do, or what we leave undone."

"Why, John?" said Henry.

"You will know soon enough," John answered, "but it shan't be from me
you shall learn it. I suppose, however," he added, "that we must get
the peas for dinner; folks must eat, though the world should come to an
end next Michaelmas."

"What is the matter, John?" said Henry; "I am sure something is."

"Well," replied John, "if there is nothing else, is it not enough to
have that lady's-maid there in the kitchen finding fault with
everything, and laying down the law, and telling me to my face that I
don't understand so much as to graff a tree?"

"Who says so, John?" asked Henry.

"Why, my lady's maid," replied John; "that Miss Tilney or Tolney, or
some such name, as is written as large as life on her boxes. As to the
old lady, she has a good right to come here, but she did very wrong to
bring that woman with her, to disturb an orderly family. Why, Master
Henry, she makes ten times the jabbering Mag does."

"I wish, then, she would fly away over the barn," said Henry, "as Mag
did."

"We would none of us go after her," replied John, "to bring her back;
but I am a fool," added the honest man; "here have I lived ever since
master came here, and most of these trees did I plant and graff with my
own hands, and made the sparrow-grass beds and all, and now this woman
is to come with her nonsense, and turn everything topsy-turvy."

Henry was quite puzzled; he saw that John was vexed, and he knew that
the words topsy-turvy meant upside-down; but he could not understand
how the lady's-maid could turn the roots of the trees up in the air. He
was going to ask an explanation, when a very shrill voice was heard
screaming, "Mr. John, Mr. John!"

"There again!" cried John, "even the garden can't be clear of
her--there, Master Henry, put down the basket and be off, she is no
company for you. If you see her, and she asks for me, tell her I am
gone to clean the pig-sty; she will not follow me there." So off ran
John one way, and Henry another.

But Henry was not so lucky in his flight as John was; he ran into a
narrow walk enclosed on each side with filberts, and before he was
awa