h sits with mother, or I sit with
mother."

"Well, I will take the children out, or play with them indoors. I would
love to; and you can have a clear two or three hours every afternoon.
Do take them, Audrey, for your writing. When I have gone home it may not
be so easy. Oh, Audrey, how grand it sounds. And some day, when it is
finished, we will all act it--wouldn't that be perfectly splendid?"

Audrey's face was alight with excitement; her grey eyes glowed.

"But," she objected, "but----" She hesitated again. "It will probably be
no good--a poor, silly thing----"

"You can't possibly tell until you have written it," said Irene, silencing
her nervous doubts. "There--there are nine peas in a pod for you, for
luck."

"There is no luck in that sort of thing."

"There is for the person who buys them; nine nice fat round peas, instead
of three and a dwarf!"

Mary came in with her bucket and kneeler. "Those steps do pay for a bit
of extra doing," she remarked, complacently. "Since I've been able to
give more time to them, they've improved ever so. You've no idea, Miss
Irene."

"Oh, yes I have," laughed Irene. "We have more than an idea, haven't we,
Audrey? The steps catch our eye every time we pass, they have improved
so. Why, there are Faith and the children back from their walk. Oh, my,
how we have been gossiping."

Faith and the children came strolling in at the back door.

"We came through the kitchen garden," said Faith, "and I have been talking
to Jobey Toms, and what _do_ you think? He has actually remembered at
last that there is another garden, and 'it ain't no credit to nobody.' I
told him that everyone had noticed that for a long time past, and hurt his
feelings dreadfully. At least, he said I had. Anyhow, he is going to
keep the grass cut and the bushes trimmed, and he is actually going to
make a flower bed on the other side of the path."

"Whatever is the meaning of it?" gasped Audrey, looking almost alarmed.

Faith laughed. "I think someone has been twitting him about the way he
keeps it, or rather, doesn't keep it. He began to me about it directly he
saw me. 'I can't put up with that there front garden no longer,' he said,
'a one-eyed thing. I am going to make it look more fitty by the time the
missus is able to come out and see it, or--or I dunno what she'll think of
me for 'lowing it to go on looking such a sight. I'm going to cut a bed
t'other side of the path, Miss Faith,