py door and ask your
foolish question here? Are there no other houses in Cirencester? No
cake! No cake!"

They screamed with laughter.

"I like them," said Rod. "They're nice children. I hope they'll come
again. And now for a large tea, with plenty of cake for all but one of
us."

They would have liked to stay a long time, for Rod and Vernon were very
kind and amusing, but Janet had Hester on her mind, left alone in the
Slowcoach; and so directly tea was finished they said good-bye.

When Hester was told about their adventure, she said: "How silly you
all are!"

"Why?" they asked indignantly.

"For two reasons," said Hester. "One is that it is, of course, 'fresh
woods.' Anyone ought to know that. And the other is that we've got the
'Blue Poetry Book' with it in here in the caravan."

"That doesn't matter," said Gregory. "We met a jolly decent clergyman."

What Hester's great business had been Janet soon learned, for as soon
as they were alone Hester slipped some sheets of paper into Janet's
hand and asked her to read them very privately. Janet retired to the
boudoir end of the caravan and read. It was a poem entitled:

ODE TO THE REV. FRANCIS GASTREEE

(Dedicated to Mr. Nicholas Imber)

O thou most base,
Who hadst possession of the dwelling-place
Of William Shakespeare, Stratford's loveliest son,
What is it thou hast done?
Thou shouldst have treasur'd it, as in a case
We keep a diamond or other jewel.
Instead of which thou didst it quite erase,
O wicked man, O fool!
What should be done to thee?
Hang'ed upon a tree?
Or in the pillory
Placed for all to pelt with eggs and bitter zest?
Aye, that were best.
Would that thou wert i' th' pillory this moment
And Stratford all in foment,
Thou knave, thou cad,
Thou everything that's bad!

HESTER MARGARET AVORY.

Janet said it was splendid, after you had got hold of the difficult
rhyming idea.

"That's because it's an ode," said Hester. "Odes go like that. All
jumpy. And you mustn't say 'you' in an ode. You must say 'thou."'

"But what shall you do with it?" Janet asked.

"I want to send it to Mr. Imber," said Hester. "He said something ought
to be done. He gave me his address; do you think we could post it this
evening?"

Janet said they could, and they walked to the post-office and sent it
off, together with a letter to Mrs. Avory, and picture postcards for
Runcie and Collins. The budget for X. they kept, as