sent her from India, she felt
a very smart little girl indeed.

The shaving tidy she had done up in a parcel, and Peter had the knife in
his pocket, so they were quite ready, and as they went down to the hall
the clock struck three.

Alas! there was no motor waiting; instead there was mother with a
telegram in her hand saying that Auntie May couldn't come for them till
four o'clock.

What a disappointment! A whole hour longer to wait! What were they to do
with themselves?

Mother suggested that they should sit down quietly and read, but who can
possibly sit and read when a big motor is coming soon to fetch them?

So mother very kindly said they might go out in the garden.

"Only remember," she said, "you are not to run about and get hot and
untidy; and keep on the paths, don't go on the grass."

So out they went, Isabel hugging her precious parcel. She was afraid to
leave it in the hall lest mother should see it and guess by the shape
what it was, which of course would spoil it all.

They strolled round the garden, peeped at the rabbits and a brood of
baby chickens just hatched, then wandered on down the drive.

"Can't we play something?" suggested Isabel--"something quite clean and
quiet with no running in it."

Peter thought for some time, then he said: "I don't believe there are
any games like that." Being a boy, you see, he couldn't think of one, so
he said he didn't think there were any.

[Sidenote: Follow-my-leader]

"Yes, there are," said Isabel, "heaps of them, only I can't think of
one. Oh, I know, follow my leader, walking, not running, and of course
not on the grass. I'll be leader."

So off they started, and great fun it was. Isabel led into such queer
places--the potting-house, tool-shed, laundry, and even into the dairy
once. Then it was Peter's turn, and he went through the chicken-run,
stable-yard, and kitchen-garden, and then down the drive.

When he got to the gate he hesitated, then started off down the road.

"Ought we to go down here, do you think?" asked Isabel, plodding along
behind him.

"Oh, yes, it's all right," Peter said; "we're keeping off the grass and
not running, and that's all mother told us," and on they went.

After walking for a little way, Peter turned off down a side lane, a
favourite walk of theirs in summer, and Isabel followed obediently.

Unfortunately, for the last three days it had rained heavily, and the
deep cart-ruts on both sides of the road were full