arance was far from being as neat as when they set off in the
morning. Fred was all over flour, through kneeling in the mill and
lolling up against the sacks; while his cousins looked as wet, muddy,
and pitiable, as two unfortunate, half-drowned young monkeys could look.
The butterflies flitted before them and danced up and down in the sunny
air, displaying their gorgeous wings; the yellowhammer flew out from
amongst the nettles, and betrayed the place where his sober-hued little
mate was sitting upon her grassy nest; a stoat ran across the road with
a bird in his mouth, and disappeared in the bank unchased; the corncrake
sang his harsh song in the park, seemingly close beneath the pales; and
two squirrels ran along the road right in front of them, and then sat
down with their little bushy tails cocked up, watching the boys ever so
long before they darted up the beech-tree bole, and hid behind the great
branches. But it was of no use; there was no tempting the boys out of
their solid sombre moodiness; and on they tramped, fishless and
disconsolate, for their young spirits were not damped, but literally
drenched; and then, too, they had lost their wicker idol, full of
captives--captives which, like those of the ancient Britons, were to
have been roasted; but now, alas! were in danger of being drowned; if,
as old anglers tell us, fish can be drowned.

The day was brighter than ever, but for them it had lost its brightness;
and sadly and slowly they crossed the stile, crept across the
home-field, round to the stable-yard, and in by the back door; and, no
one seeing them, hurried up to their bedrooms, so that Harry and Philip
were able to make a decent appearance at dinner-time, without
frightening Mr and Mrs Inglis by their half-drowned aspect.

It took a long time before it came to the surface, and a great amount of
determination before Harry could speak out respecting the morning's
mishap; for he, though the younger, was always the chief speaker; but at
last out it came with a rush, while Papa was helping the pudding, making
him give such a start that he put the wedge-shaped piece of rhubarb
pudding right upon the snowy white tablecloth instead of Fred's plate.

"I say, Papa, Philip and I tumbled into Whaley Dyke, coming home from
the mill to-day; and it was so full that Phil would have been drowned,
for he was too much afraid to swim, only Fred pulled him out."

And then, as the ice was broken, Harry told the whole