ntered there was a convolvulus out.
Cicely regretted to see this sign that the sun had reached his
greatest height: the tide of summer was full. Beyond the copse we
descended by a deep-worn track into a 'coombe-bottom,' or valley,
where were some cottages.

Cicely, who knew some of the old people, thought she would call,
though most probably they would be away. We stopped at a garden-gate:
it was open, but there was no one about. Cicely lifted the latch of
the door to step in, country fashion, but it was locked; and, hearing
the noise, a cat came mewing round the corner. As if they had started
out of the ground, a brown-faced boy and a thin girl suddenly
appeared, having come through the hedge.

'Thaay be up to barken' (rickyard), said the boy: so we went on to the
next door. It was locked too, but the key was in the lock outside.
Cicely said that was a signal to callers that the wife had only gone
out for a few minutes and would return soon. The children had followed
us.

'Where is she?' asked Cicely.

'Hur be gone to dipping-place,' replied the boy. We went to a third
door, and immediately he cried out, 'Thuck's our feyther's: the kay's
in the thatch.' We looked and could see the handle of the key sticking
out of the eave over the door.

'Where are they all?' I said.

'Aw, Bill's in the clauver; and Joe--he's in th' turmuts; and Jack be
at public, a' spose; and Bob's wi' the osses; and----'

'They will be home to luncheon?' said Cicely.

'Aw, no um wunt; they wunt be whoam afore night; thaay got thur
nuncheon wi' um.'

'Is there no one at home in all the place?' I inquired.

'Mebbe Farmer Bennet. Thur beant nobody in these yer housen.'

So we went on to Uncle Bennet's, whose house was hidden by a clump of
elms farther down the coombe. There were cottagers in this lonely hill
hamlet, not only old folk but young persons, who had never seen a
train. They had not had the enterprise or curiosity to walk into
Overboro' for the purpose. Some of the folk ate snails, the common
brown shell-snail found in the hedges. It has been observed that
children who eat snails are often remarkably plump. The method of
cooking is to place the snail in its shell on the bar of a grate, like
a chestnut. And well-educated people have been known, even in these
days, to use the snail as an external medicine for weakly children:
rubbed into the back or limb, the substance of the snail is believed
to possess strengthening virtues.[4