barely five. They were by no means clever children; but they knew a good story when they heard one, and Hetty held them to the adventures of Joseph and his Brethren,

nd this in turn had yielded to a soft southerly wind. The morning sunshine poure

g sheaves: and when Joseph had bound his sheaf, it stood upright, but the other sheaves around slid and fell flat, as if they were bowing on th

Granthams' son and heir, and had a baby brother of whom he tr

youngest of all,

ed it, he needn't hav

having that coat of m

oy, of course-but how

ything of one of

eamed it on a Frid

, ch

ms' cook-"that Friday's dream on Saturday to

if it came true.

ca persisted, "and he wanted it to co

eing a sneak, I

ame this time from no avalanche of snow. Someone had planted a ladder agains

as joggled a little and fixed again. Footsteps began to ascend it. A face and a pai

we had better fin

oment he was not looking in, but stood at the top of the ladder with his

ow. "No use shifting the ladder; 'twon't reach. Stay a

of his hand, then peered through it into

across you. Now would you be so kind as to lift the latch on your side and pus

urning haughtily to f

d in the doorway wa

into the room,

to the sill, and balanced himself there gripping the window-frame and leaning outwards at an angle w

ly: "'Tis to be hoped the hinges are strong-eh

ase, be

-send the child out of the room and give me a push: a

he went on, gazing upwards and

launder, here-" He worked his way to the right, to the very edge of the sill, and reached sideways

ced. "I can't reach

Hetty asked in a low voice,

es or something-and the roof-water's

replace and picked up a poker-a small one with a crook

ion. "Cleared it, by Jingo! and that's famous." He lowered himself upon the flat of his broad soles. "You o

ck the poke

ng of the ladder, stood in safety. "You're as white as a sheet. Was you scared I'd fall? L

ity's

tually scrambling up to the sill again, but paused with his eyes on hers. "It hurts you?

recoiled from terror to unreasonable wrath, and at

about your goings-on. I thought of it. Says I, 'It don't take more than a line from me, and the fat's in the fire.' Mind, I don't say that I won't, but I ha'n't done it yet. And look here-I'm a journeyman, as you know, and on the tramp f

ited while the ladder too was withdrawn, she fetched b

is text, with his head on one side and his tongue working in the corner

then at the window. Five minutes passed. She started and t