e
had obtained _carte blanche_ from the vicar to do as he pleased, and it
had pleased him to say to Miss Burge:

"Betsy, we'll do the thing 'andsome this time, and no mistake. Money
shan't stand in the way, and I want Miss Thorne--and Mr Chute," he
added hastily, "to see that we know how to do things at Plumton."

The result was that for a whole week the children nearly ran mad, and
attention to object, or any other lessons, was a thing impossible to
secure; and once every day--sometimes twice--Mr Chute was obliged to go
into the girls' school and confide to Miss Thorne the fact that he
should be heartily glad when it was all over.

Hazel Thorne participated in his feelings, but she did not feel bound to
go to the boys' school to impart her troubles, having terrible work to
keep her scholars to their tasks.

For to a little place like Plumton the preparations were tremendously
exciting, and between school hours, and afterwards, the entrance to Mr
William Forth Burge's garden was besieged with anxious sightseers, the
wildest rumours getting abroad amongst the children, who were ready to
believe a great deal more than they saw, though they had ocular
demonstration that a large marquee was being erected, that ropes were
stretched between the trees for flags, that four large swings had been
made; and as for the contents of that marquee the most extravagant
rumours were afloat.

One thing was notable in spite of the inattention, and that was the fact
that the schools were wonderfully well filled by children, who came in
good time, and who duly paid their pence, many of the scholars having
been absentees for months, some since the last school-treat, but who
were coming "regular now, please, teacher."

The morning had arrived when, after receiving strict orders to be at the
schools punctually at eleven, fully half the expected number were at the
gates by nine, clamouring for admittance; and at last the noise grew so
loud that Mrs Thorne cast an appealing look at her daughter, and
sighed.

"Ah, Hazel," she murmured, "if you had only listened to poor Mr
Geringer, we should have been spared this degradation."

"Oh, hush, dear," whispered Hazel. "Pray say no more. Indeed I don't
mind, and the poor children seem so happy."

"But I mind it, Hazel," sighed Mrs Thorne. "It is a degradation
indeed. Of course you will not be expected to walk with the children as
far as those people's?"

"Oh, yes," said Hazel, trying to