the very smallest detail of it from year to year: even the
uncertain squeaks and flourishes of the drum and fife band were
something to be remembered with pleasure. As his eye rested on the
school-house, a small red dot in the distance, he wondered if they had
settled on the Queen yet, and whether Agnetta would be chosen. "She'll
be rarely vexed if she ain't," he thought seriously. So the day went
by, and after five o'clock had sounded from the church tower Peter and
his beasts left off work and went leisurely down the hill towards home;
two of the Pleasants in front with their harness clanking and flapping
loosely about them, and their master following, seated sideways on the
back of the third. Peter had done a long day's work and was hungry, but
he did not go into the house till he had seen his horses attended to by
Ben Pinhorn, who was in the yard when they arrived. Even after this he
was further delayed, for as he was crossing the lane which separated the
farm buildings from the house an ugly cat ran to meet him, rubbed
against his legs, and mewed.

"Jump, then, Tib," said Peter encouragingly; and Tib jumped, arriving
with outspread claws on the front of his waistcoat and thence to his
shoulder. Thus accompanied he went to the kitchen window and tapped
softly, which signal brought Molly the servant girl with a saucer of
skim milk.

"There's your supper, Tib," said Peter as he set it on the ground, and
stood looking heavily down at the cat till she had lapped up the last
drop. And in this there was reason; for Sober the sheepdog, lying near,
had his eye on the saucer, and only waited for Tib to be undefended to
advance and finish the milk himself.

Being now quite ready for his own refreshment Peter made his way through
the back kitchen into the general living-room of the family, which also,
much to Bella's disgust, had the appearance of a kitchen. It was large
and comfortable, with three windows in it, looking across the garden to
the orchard, but, alas! it had a great fireplace and oven, where cooking
often went on, and an odious high settle sticking out from one corner of
the chimney. This was enough to deprive it of all gentility, without
mentioning the long deal table at which in former times the farmer had
been used to dine with his servants. They were banished now to the back
kitchen, but this was the only reform Bella and Gusta had been able to
make. Nothing would induce their father to sit in th