fixed with delight, seeing how rapidly the people ran up and
down, with their pitchforks in their hands, and tilted the hay from the
cart into the loft, while they had many jokes and much laughter among
themselves. At last their whole business was finished, and the workmen
drove away for another supply, to the neighbouring fields, where they
had been raking and tossing it all morning, as merry as crickets.

"What happy people!" exclaimed Harry, looking wistfully after the party,
and wishing he might have scrambled into the cart beside them. "I would
be a haymaker for nothing, if anybody would employ me; would not you,
Peter?"

"It is very strange," said Master Grey, "why little ladies and gentlemen
seem always obliged to endure a perfectly useless walk every day, as you
and Laura are doing now. You never saw animals set out to take a stroll
for the good of their healths! How odd it would be to see a couple of
dogs set off for a country walk!"

"Miss Laura!" said Mrs. Crabtree, "Master Harry may rest here for a
minute or two with Master Peter, and let them count their fingers, while
you come with Betty and me to visit a sick old aunt of mine who lives
round the corner; but be sure, boys, you do not presume to wander about,
or I shall punish you most severely. We are coming back in two minutes."

Mrs. Crabtree had scarcely disappeared into a small shabby-looking
cottage, before Peter turned eagerly to Harry, with a face of great joy
and importance, exclaiming, "Only see how very lucky this is! The
haymakers have left their long ladder, standing on purpose for us! The
window of that loft is wide open, and I must climb up immediately to
peep in, because never, in all my life, did I see the inside of a
hay-loft before!"

"Nor I!" added Harry. "Uncle David says, that all round the floor there
are deep holes, called mangers, down which food is thrown for the
horses, so that they can thrust their heads in, to take a bite, whenever
they choose."

"How I should hate to have my dinner hung up always before my nose in
that way! Suppose the kitchen were placed above your nursery, and that
Mrs. Marmalade showered down tarts and puddings, which were to remain
there till you ate them, you would hate the sight of such things at
last. But now, Harry, for the hay-loft."

Peter scrambled so rapidly up the ladder, that he soon reached the top,
and instantly vanished in at the window, calling eagerly for Harry to
follow. "You never s