they might to do
it as they said. What harm do you suppose will happen, Ailwin? I am
sure Oliver would do nothing wrong, about making the raft, or anything
else.--O dear! I wish George would not cry so!"

"Here, give him to me," said Ailwin, who had now washed her hands, and
taken off her cooking apron. "There, go you and finish the dishes, and
then to play,--there's a dear! And don't think about George, or about
Roger, and the raft, or anything that will vex you,--there's a dear!"

Ailwin gave Mildred a smacking kiss, as she received little George from
her; and, though Mildred could not, as she was bid, put away all vexing
thoughts, she was cheered by Ailwin's good-will.

She had soon done washing the few plates they had used, though she did
the washing with the greatest care, because it was her mother's best
china, brought from Holland, and kept in the up-stairs cupboard,--ready,
as it now seemed, to serve the present party, who must otherwise have
gone without plates and cups, their common sets being all under water,--
broken to pieces, no doubt, by this time.--George was already quieter
than he had been all day; so that Mildred felt the less scruple about
going out to amuse herself,--or rather, to watch her brother; for she
hardly dared to take any pleasure in the raft, after what Ailwin had
said; though she kept repeating to herself that it was all nonsense,
such as Ailwin often talked; such as Mrs Linacre said her children must
neither believe nor laugh at.

Mildred went at once to the top of the staircase, which stood up firm,
though the building had fallen away on almost every side of it. It was
rather a giddy affair at first, sitting on the top stair of a spiral
staircase of which part of the walls were gone, while the bare rafters
of the roof let the water be seen through them. Mildred soon grew
accustomed to her place, however, and fixed her eyes on the raft with
which the boys were plying in the stream. She supposed they had caught
a hay-cock; for the cow was eating, very industriously,--no longer on
the dunghill, but on a slip of ground which had been left dry between it
and the stable. The cow had company to share her good cheer: whether
invited or uninvited, there was no saying. A strange pony was there;
and a sheep, and a well-grown calf. These animals all pressed upon one
another on the narrow space of ground, thrusting their heads over or
under one another's necks, to snatch the hay.