ursery, however early I was.

Our best time for talking was when Peterkin came to meet me. But we had
two or three wet days about then. And Margaret did not expect us on
rainy days, even if Pete had been allowed to come, which he wasn't.

It was, as far as I remember, not till the Monday after that Wednesday
that we were able to pass along Rock Terrace. And almost before we came
in real sight of her, I felt certain that the little figure was standing
there on the look-out.

And so she was--red shawl and white pinafore, and small dark head, as
usual.

We made a sort of pretence of strolling past her house at first, but we
found we didn't need to. She beckoned to us at once, and just at that
moment the parrot, who was out in _his_ balcony, most luckily--or
cleverly, Peterkin always declares he did it on purpose--screeched out
in quite a good-humoured tone--

'Good morning! good morning! Pretty Poll! Fine day, boys! Good morning!'

'Good morning, Poll,' we called out as we ran across the tiny plot of
garden to Margaret.

'I'm so glad you've come,' she said, 'but you mustn't stop a minute.
I've been out in a bath-chair this morning--I've just come in; and now
I'm to go every day. It's horrid, and it's all nonsense, when I can
walk and run quite well. It's all that old witch. I'm going again
to-morrow and Wednesday; but I'm going to manage to make it later on
Wednesday, so that you can talk to me on the Parade. Nurse is going to
London all day on Wednesday, but I'm to go out just the same, for the
bath-chair man is somebody that Miss Bogle knows quite well. So if you
watch for me on the Parade, between the street close to here,' and she
nodded towards the nearest side of Lindsay Square, 'and farther on
_that_ way,' and now she pointed in the direction of our own house,
'I'll look out for you, and we can have a good talk.'

'All right,' we replied. 'On Wednesday--day after to-morrow, if it's
fine, of course.'

'Yes,' she said; 'though I'll _try_ to go, even if it's not _very_ fine,
and you must try to come. I know now why nurse has to go to London. It's
to see her sister, who's in an hospital, and Wednesday's the only day,
and she's a dressmaker--that's why I thought nurse had to go to a
dressmaker's. I'm going on making up my plans. It's getting worse and
worse. After I've been out in the bath-chair, Miss Bogle says I'm to lie
down most of the afternoon! Just fancy--it's so _dreadfully_ dull, for
she won't let me