You and
David helped me to find Jack, so it is only fair that I should help you
to fill the museum. If we get on well you can open it when your mother
comes home, instead of on her birthday. Wouldn't that be a good plan?"

Ambrose hardly knew how he got over the road between the doctor's
cottage and the Vicarage that day, he was in such haste to tell the
wonderful news to David. They went up after dinner to the deserted
museum, and looked at it with fresh interest. It was dim and dusty now,
but how different it would be when it was filled with all the really
valuable objects they would find with the doctor's help! Did it want
any more shelves? they wondered. David had put up so many that there
was hardly a bare space left on the walls, and it was decided that for
the present no more should be added.

"But I'll tell you what," said David, "we'll get a mop, and a pail, and
a scrubbing-brush, and give it a regular good clean out. Then it'll be
quite ready."

The afternoon was spent happily in this way, Nancy looking wistfully in
at the door and longing to assist. As usual, however, she was not
allowed any part in the affairs of the museum, and after a few jeering
remarks she went slowly down-stairs.

"It _is_ dull," she said to herself, "now Pennie isn't at home."

Poor Nancy felt this more and more as the days went on. No Pennie, no
one in the nursery, and the boys entirely engaged in their new pursuit.
It was very dull. She would willingly have taken an interest in the
museum too, and when she heard that the boys were to go with the doctor
to the chalk-pit, she felt her lot was hard indeed. It was so exactly
what she would have liked, and yet because she was a girl she might have
no part in it. When they came home, full of importance and triumph,
with some ugly-looking stones and some very long names to write on the
labels, she followed them into the school-room.

"I wish I could go next time," she said, for the doctor had promised
another expedition soon. "I'm sure Dr Budge would like me to, and I
could find things every bit as well as you could."

"Dr Budge wouldn't want to teach girls," said David. "He teaches us
_jology_. Girls needn't know anything about _jology_."

"I don't want to," said Nancy frankly, "but I should love to go to the
chalk-pit with that funny old Dr Budge."

"Well," said David decidedly, "you can't have anything to do with the
museum. It's always been mine and Ambrose's.