m well satisfied with Vardy for a landlord at the 'Royal
Exchange,'" answered Mr. Freeman smilingly. "Look, there is a wasp's
nest as big as a bucket," and Mr. Freeman pointed his whip toward a
huge gray ball hanging from the branch of a partly decayed tree near the
road.

"It's a beauty," said Rose, leaning out to see the wonderful ball of
gray paper which swung from the branch above them.

Mr. Freeman turned Lady to the further side of the road and said, "If
the wasps have deserted their house, as they sometimes do at this
season, I'd like to get it to take home to the children. I never saw so
large a nest. I can soon find out," he concluded.

The brown horse stood quietly while Mr. Freeman and the girls got out of
the chaise.

"Stay here a moment," said Mr. Freeman, and he walked back toward the
tree and threw a small round stone at the nest. It hit the mark, but no
angry wasps appeared. Another stone touched it more forcibly, and, when
the third failed to bring a single wasp from the nest, Mr. Freeman
declared that he knew it was vacant, and cutting a branch from a slender
birch tree with his pocket-knife, which he speedily made into a smooth
pole, he managed to secure the nest without damaging it and brought it
proudly back to show to Rose and Anne, neither of whom had ever seen
one before.

"It's just like paper," said Anne admiringly, touching it carefully.

"That's just what it is," said Mr. Freeman. "I expect men learned from
wasps how to make paper. For wasps go to work in a very business-like
way. They chew up dead and crumbling wood and spread it out smoothly,
and when it dries and hardens there is a sheet of paper, all ready to be
used as one of the layers for this dry warm nest. Men make paper by
grinding up wood or linen rags."

"You can put the nest in our lunch-basket, father," said Rose.
"Frederick and Millicent will think it the most wonderful thing they
have ever seen."

Frederick and Millicent were Rose's younger brother and sister.
Frederick was about Anne's age, but little Millicent was only six years
old.

Lady turned her head as if to ask why they were lingering so far from a
good stable; and Rose and Anne stopped a moment before getting in the
chaise to rub her soft nose and tell her that she would soon be in
Sandwich and should have a good feed of oats for her dinner.

CHAPTER IX

LADY DISAPPEARS

"We shall reach the tavern in good season for dinner," said Mr. Freeman,