nd it was accordingly settled. She proved
herself, too, such a good little comforter and companion, that
Phoebe became quite cheerful again, though perhaps their play was
not quite so merry as usual.

First they went to the poultry-yard, where there was a brood of
very fine little ducklings, just hatched, to see. Then to the
dairy, where they both were allowed to pat away at the butter and
make it up for tea. Then Matty, the dairy-maid, said that she must
leave the dairy, and that they must go too; so they sauntered away
down by the stream to the pretty summer-house. They were glad to
get there, because of the shade, for the sun was hot, and they were
tired with butter-making. So for some little time they sat
resting, and making boats of the large leaves, to float down the
stream.

By-and-by they heard a step coming quickly down the path towards
them, and directly afterwards Bob came hurrying into the
summer-house, saying, "Phoebe, come along; Uncle Roger's seeking
you.--And you, Mary-Anne, if you like, you little duck;" and with
that Bob gave a loud "hurrah," which made both the girls spring to
their feet in astonishment.

"But why, Bob?" asked Phoebe excitedly, as he hurried them along,
one in each hand, as fast as they could go up the path.

"Never you mind," said Bob--"you'll soon know;" and then he gave
another "hurrah" and jumped like a madman.

On they rushed, through the orchard, round the yew hedge, and so
past the old dial, and over the grass, on to the house. At the
window, which was a very large one, Phoebe saw quite a crowd; for
they were all collected there, and amongst them, to her
astonishment, stood tall Jem Heywood. When she and Bob and
Mary-Anne came in sight, he set up a cheer, in which little Charlie
joined lustily; and Phoebe turned first red and then pale, and at
last stopped altogether in fright and bewilderment, dragging the
two others back with her. Then her father's face looked out and
smiled to her, and then her mother's and Aunt Leyton's; and then
out came Uncle Roger, and Phoebe was lifted on his shoulder, and
carried through the midst of the smiling faces to where the dinner
was laid out.

There she saw a little bower of green branches over a chair at
Uncle Roger's right hand, at the end of the table; and on this
chair, under the boughs, Uncle Roger set her down, while before her
rose the most enormous apple-pie you can imagine! Instead of crust,
which it looked like, its cover w