and make a 'erbashus border.'
I nearly tumbled down in the path, I had such a shock."

"I did not know Jobey knew what a herbaceous border is," said Audrey.

Faith chuckled. "He doesn't. He thinks it is another name for a
herb-bed. He has got hold of the idea from someone, poor old man.
He told me he had been talking to John Parkins, 'what's come 'ome from Sir
Samuel Smithers's place, where he's 'ead gardener, and John 'e don't seem
able to talk of nothin' but his 'erbashus borders, just as if we 'adn't
never 'eard of 'em before. Why, I 'ad a 'erb-bed before ever 'e was born,
and for 'im to be telling me what mould to use! I never! I soon let 'im
see I wasn't goin' to be taught by no youngsters, even if they did grow
their 'erbs by the 'alf mile.'" Faith imitated the old man's speech and
indignation to the life. "''Alf a mile of 'erbashus border, 'e said 'e'd
laid out--and expected me to believe 'im, I s'pose! I says to un, says I:
'I s'pose your Sir Samuel's a bit of a market gardener,' says I.
He pretended to laugh, but I could see 'e didn't like it, and I stopped
his bragging, anyway. These fellows, they go away for a bit, and they
come back talking that big there's no 'olding with 'em. But, any'ow, we
can do with a bit more 'erb, and we're goin' to 'ave it, Miss Faith, and
when he comes 'ome next time I warrant I'll show 'im a bed of parsley
as'll take the consate out of 'un!'"

Audrey's laughter changed to a cry of dismay. "What _can_ we do? We
don't want a herb-bed from the front door to the gate. It is useful,
perhaps, but it is not pretty, and as sure as fate, Jobey would plant
chibbles and spring onions too. He calls them ''erbs,' and loves the
taste of them himself above all others."

"We can't explain to him that herbaceous borders and herb-beds are not the
same," said Faith. "For one thing, he would not believe that we knew
anything about it; but if he did believe it, he would be so mortified he
would never get over it."

"Perhaps," suggested Irene, "we could lead him on from lamb-mint to
lemon-thyme, and from lemon-thyme to rosemary and lavender--tell him
rosemary is good for the hair."

"Job cares nothing about hair," said Audrey hopelessly, "it is so long
since he had any he has forgotten what it is like not to be bald. I think
it is too bad that after neglecting the garden all these years he should
go and do a thing like that. I have always longed for a bed full of
bright flowers;