around. She felt a little ashamed of herself, and very
anxious to wipe out the not very pleasing impression she felt sure she had
made on their visitor. She got out the table cloth and spread it on the
ground.

"First of all," suggested Faith, "we had better build up the fire and put
the kettle on. It takes rather long sometimes."

"I'll get some sticks," volunteered Keith. "Come along, Tom, we'll
provide the wood; that shall be our job."

"I want to go too," cried Debby, "but the kittens are asleep, and I can't
possibly disturb them, can I?"

"Run along," said Mr. Vivian kindly, "I will mind your kittens for you,
they know me, and we will be as happy as kings together."

"I wish," Audrey remarked, "that we had some methylated spirits and a
stove. It is ever so much quicker and not nearly so messy."

"But it isn't as much fun," consoled Irene, "and the tea tastes so nice
when the water is boiled over sticks and furze. Don't you think so?"

"I don't know. I don't see that it can make any difference. But I think
it is a dreadful bother trying to get enough for everyone. The fire
always goes out or the----"

"Audrey," called out Faith, "where is the kettle? Daphne and I will go to
the cottage to get it filled."

"I haven't the kettle," said Audrey. "I haven't seen it. Isn't it in the
basket over by you? Don't say you have come without it?"

"I am afraid we have," said Faith reluctantly, after looking in vain in
all directions. "What can we do? Do you think the woman at the cottage
would lend us one?"

"If she did she would be sure to say we had damaged it. If it sprang a
leak at the end of six months she would be sure to think it was our
fault." Poor Audrey felt and looked thoroughly vexed. Everything so far
that day had gone wrong, and she had wanted it to be so different.
What she could not see was that nothing had gone wrong seriously, and a
little good temper and a sense of humour could not only have carried her
through triumphantly, but have turned most of the predicaments to fun.

Keith came up with a bundle of sticks in his arms and heard the tale of
woe. "Oh, that's nothing," he said with a promptness that was most
consoling. "I will ask grandfather to lend me Peter and we'll trot back
and get a kettle in a flash."

But Mr. Vivian preferred to go himself. "And I'll take young Tom with
me," he said. "He can run in and explain to the maid and get the kettle
in half the time Keith o