ghly polished and highly
coloured grocer's calendars--pictures of beautiful women--were on the
walls. Sides of bacon hung from the ceiling. The whole place smelled of
wood smoke and plenty. The children noticed all these things as they
stood in the doorway, every now and then knocking.

At last they heard steps, and a very wide and smiling woman entered the
kitchen from another door.

"Well," she asked, "what can I do for you?"

Gregory, proud to be really beginning his duties, said: "Please, may we
camp tonight in one of your fields? We're living in a caravan."

"You've come to the wrong person," said Mrs. Gosden. "That's my
husband's affair, and he's rather particular. He's gone to Chipping
Norton; but," she added, as Gregory began to look miserable, "he'll be
back any minute now. You sit down and have a cup of tea with me and
wait for him."

So they sat down, and Mrs. Gosden made the tea, which she took from a
highly coloured tin, covered also with beautiful women, and they had
with it bread and butter and lettuce, and talked.

"And how do you like gipsying?" Mrs. Gosden asked.

"I think it's going to be splendid," Mary said; "but we've only just
begun."

"Then you haven't slept out before?"

"No," said Mary.

"My word!" said Mrs. Gosden; "what sore throats you'll have in the
morning! Roughing it's all very well by day, but give me a comfortable
bed to lay in of a night. That's me!"

At this moment the sound of wheels was heard, and Mrs. Gosden jumped up
and added some hot water to the tea and cut some more bread-and-butter.
"That's father," she said, and Mr. Gosden soon after came in.

He was a big man with whiskers under his chin all the way round, but
none on the rest of his face.

"Hello!" he said; "visitors!"

"Yes," said Mrs. Gosden, "a young lady and gentleman who are living in
a caravan, and want to camp in the hay takers. At least, I think it's
the hay takers from what they say of it."

"Ho, do they?" said Mr. Gosden. "A nice state of things," he added with
a twinkle, "when every one who comes to ask leave to spoil one of my
fields gets a nice tea given them!" and he laughed.

"We shouldn't spoil it," said Gregory.

"Well," said Mr. Gosden, "perhaps you'll tell me how you make a fire.
Isn't it on the ground? And what do you do with your rubbish? Clean it
up and take it along with you? Not too likely. I've had caravaners here
before."

"We will," said Mary, "I promise"--seeing as she s