made so much noise
with her skirts, and then hurried downstairs, as if in great haste to
get hold of a door that she could bang; and as soon as she did reach
one, she made so much use of her opportunity that a picture in the hall
was blown sidewise, and began swinging to and fro like a great square
pendulum.

Dexter sighed, and felt very miserable as he stole downstairs again, and
past the study door, where the murmur of voices talking, as he knew,
about him made him shiver.

He was obliged to pass that door to get his cap, and then he had to pass
it again to get to the garden door.

Mr Limpney was talking, and Mr Limpney, being accustomed to lecture
and teach, spoke very loudly, so that Dexter heard him say--

"I must have more authority, sir, and--"

Dexter heard no more, for he fled into the garden, but he knew that
having authority meant the same as it meant with Mr Sibery, and it
sounded like going backwards.

He felt more miserable as he went out into the garden.

"Nobody hardly seems to like me, or care for me here," he said
dolefully; and, led by his inclination, he began to make his way down
the long green path toward the river, half fancying that Bob Dimsted
might be fishing.

But before he had gone far he saw Dan'l, who was busy doing up a bed,
and his appearance seemed to be the signal for the old man to put down
his tools and take out his great pruning-knife, as if he meant mischief,
but only to stoop from time to time to cut off a dead flower as an
excuse, so it seemed, for following Dexter wherever he went.

It was impossible to go about the garden under these circumstances, so
Dexter went down a little way, passed round a large _Wellingtonia_, and
walked slowly back toward the house, but, instead of entering, went by
the open window of the study, where the voice of Mr Limpney could still
be heard talking loudly, and, as it seemed to the listening boy,
breathing out threatenings against his peace of mind. The voice sounded
so loud as he went by that he half-expected to hear himself called in,
and in great dread he hurried on by the conservatory, and round the
house to the old stable-yard.

As he reached this he could hear a peculiar hissing noise--that which
Peter always made when he was washing the carriage, or the horses'
legs--to blow away the dust, so he said.

For a moment Dexter felt disposed to go into the new stable and talk to
Peter, but the opportunity was not tempting, and, hurry