clined to come. He would have liked to go on dabbling and
splashing till breakfast-time, but Mr. Norton hurried him out, and the
two dripping little creatures were well wrapped up in large shawls which
nurse had brought with her. Then nurse took up Olly in her arms, and
father took up Milly, who was small and light for her age, and they set
off up the bit of road to the house. By this time it was past six
o'clock, and whom should they meet at the Ravensnest gate but John
Backhouse, with Becky and Tiza, and his two dogs. He was just bringing
the milk, and both he and his children looked as brisk and wide awake as
if they had been up and about for hours.

Milly and Olly were very much excited at the sight of them, and Olly
struggled hard to get down, but nurse held him tight.

"Oh, Becky! we've had such a nice bathe," cried Milly, as she passed
them muffled up in her shawl, her little wet feet dangling out.

Becky and Tiza looked longingly after them as they disappeared into the
house. They wished they could have had a bathe too, but they knew very
well that their hard-worked father and mother had something else to do
on a fine summer's morning than to take them to bathe, and in a few
minutes they had forgotten all about it, and were busy playing with the
dogs, or chattering to their father about the hay-making, which was soon
to begin now.

That evening there were strange clouds at sunset time, and Mr. Norton
shook his head as he heard Mrs. Norton arrange to take the children next
day to a small mountain village near Ravensnest, to call on some old
friends of hers.

"I wouldn't make much of a plan for to-morrow if I were you," he said to
his wife, "the weather doesn't look promising."

"Oh, father!" said Milly, protesting. "There are some red clouds over
there--look! and Nana always says it's going to be fine when there are
red clouds."

"Well, Milly, your red clouds may be right and I may be wrong. We shall
see."

But, alas! father was quite right. When Milly woke up next morning there
was no nice sunshine creeping on to her bed as it had done almost ever
since they came to Ravensnest; but instead there was rain beating
steadily against the window, coming down out of a heavy gray sky, and
looking as if it meant to go on for ever.

"Oh dear!" sighed Milly, as she began to dress, "we can't go out, and
the wild strawberries will get so wet. I meant to have gathered some for
mother to-day. There would have been s