nd while she wiped away the offending mess
with the other, and all the time Tony cried in _crescendo_, "Let me get
at her!"

Little Fay, quite unmoved, continued to eat her porridge with studied
elegance, and in gently reproachful tones remarked, "Tony velly closs
littoo boy."

Jan and Meg, who wanted desperately to laugh, tried hard to look
shocked, and Meg asked, "What on earth possessed you to do such a
thing?"

"Tony's head so shiny and smoove."

Tony rubbed the shiny head ruefully.

"Can't I do nuffin to her?" he demanded.

"No," his sister answered firmly, "loo can't, 'cos I'm plitty littoo
Fay."

"Can't I plop some on _her_ head?" he persisted.

"It certainly seems unfair," Jan said thoughtfully, "but I think you'd
better not."

"It _is_ unfair," Tony grumbled.

Jan loosed his hands. "Now," she said, "you can do what you like."

Little Fay leaned towards her brother, smiling her irresistible,
dimpled, twinkling smile, and held out a spoonful of her porridge.

"Deah littoo Tony," she cooed, "taste it."

And Tony meekly accepted the peace-offering.

"You haven't smacked her," Jan remarked.

Tony sighed. "It's too late now--I don't feel like it any more."

All the same he felt aggrieved as he set out to seek Earley in the
kitchen garden.

Earley was not to be found. He saw Mrs. Mumford already hanging kitchen
cloths on a line in the orchard, but he felt no desire for Mrs.
Mumford's society.

Tony's tormented soul sought for something soothing.

The garden was pleasant, but it wasn't enough.

Ah! he'd got it!

He'd go to the river; all by himself he'd go, and not tell anybody. He'd
look over the bridge into that cool deep pool and perhaps that big fat
trout would be swimming about. What was it he had heard Captain
Middleton say last time he was down at Amber Guiting? "The Mayfly was
up."

He had seemed quite delighted about it, therefore it must mean something
pleasant.

After all, on a soft, not too sunny morning in early June, with a west
wind rustling the leaves in the hedges, the world was not such a bad
place; for even if there were rather too many women in it, there were
dogs and rivers and country roads where adventurous boys could see life
for themselves.

William agreed with Tony in his dislike of Monday mornings. He went and
lay on the front door mat so that he was more than ready to accompany
anyone who happened to be going out.

By the time they reached the bridge all s