re
was again a tea-party at Cow Farm, and on this occasion Jeremy was
asked to show Hamlet. But Hamlet behaved badly, trying to jump upon
Charlotte's white frock and soil her blue ribbons. Charlotte screamed
exactly as a doll screams when you press it in the stomach, and Hamlet
was so deeply astonished at the unexpected noise that he stopped his
bad behaviour, sat on his hind legs, and gazed up at her with an anxious
wondering expression. In spite of this unfortunate incident, the visit
went off well, and Mrs. Cole said that she had never seen anything so
lovely as Charlotte, and Mrs. Le Page said, "No, had anyone ever?" and
Charlotte never turned a hair. The final arrangement was that there
should be a picnic and soon, because "Mr. Le Page has to return to
Warwickshire to look after the Estate--so tiresome, but I've no doubt
it's all going to wrack and ruin without him."

After the picnic had been arranged the Coles were, frankly, a little
uneasy. The family of Le Page was not the easiest in the world to
entertain, and the thought of a whole day with Mr. Le Page, who was a
very black, very silent gentleman and looked as though he were always
counting sums over in his head, was truly alarming. Moreover, in the
ordinary way, a picnic, which depended so entirely for its success on
the weather, was no great risk, because the Coles were indifferent
to rain, as all true Glebeshire people must be. But that the Le Pages
should be wet was quite another affair; the thought of a dripping Mrs.
Le Page was intolerable, but of a dripping Charlotte quite impossible;
moreover, the plain but excellent food--pasties, saffron cake, apples
and ginger beer--enjoyed by the Coles seemed quite too terrestrial for
the Le Pages. Mrs. Le Page and ginger beer! Charlotte and pasties!...
nevertheless, the invitation had been given and accepted. The Coles
could but anxiously inspect the sky...

II

There was another reason why Jeremy looked forward to the picnic with
impatience. A funny old lady, named Miss Henhouse, who lived near Cow
Farm in a little cottage all by herself, called sometimes upon the Coles
and told them stories about the people and the place, which made them
"sit up in their chairs." She was an old lady with sharp eyes, a black
moustache and a double chin, wore an old shabby bonnet, grey mittens and
large shoes which banged after her as she walked. She leant on a cane
with a silver knob to it, and she wore a huge cameo b