o had just awakened to the fact that they had been doing a
vast amount of mischief to somebody else's property.

"Oh! I say, whatever shall we do?" said Philip in dismay.

"Pick up the pieces," said Harry, laconically.

The three boys set to work, picked up the pieces, and sponged up the
water; but there was a great, rugged, black-looking patch, like a North
American continent, with plenty of islands all round it, in the midst of
the carpet; but then, too, there were the fragments of broken bottle and
glass.

"Oh! I say, what shall we do?" exclaimed Philip again, when all was
made as decent as circumstances would permit.

There was a minute's silence which no one seemed inclined to break; but
at last Harry said, moodily, "Why, we must go and tell Mamma; she won't
be so very, very cross."

"She will, though; for she said we were not to bolster, because it
spoiled the pillow-cases so, and--"

Here Philip caught sight of the pillow lying upon Fred's bed, the cover
being nearly torn off. Upon seeing this ghastly object Philip looked
more grim than ever, and he left his sentence unfinished.

"Let's buy another bottle," said Fred; "I'll pay."

This was a new idea.

"Capital," said Harry. "I've got a shilling Papa gave me yesterday, and
I'll pay half."

"So will I," said Philip, brightening up.

But, as the bottle could not be bought by the lads all paying half, it
was decided that they should all bear a share in the proposed expense,
and go and buy the new water-holder before breakfast.

"Hooray!" said Harry, "jump into your clothes, boys, and we'll run down
to the village and be back before breakfast's ready."

In another quarter of an hour, the lads passed through the gate, and
stood in the lane leading to the village. Such a bright fine morning,
the sun gilding all the trees, and the birds singing away more merrily
than ever. The boys had looked at the clock as they descended the
staircase, and it was only five; so, as they had plenty of time upon
their hands to reach the village, they sauntered slowly along, having
only two miles to go.

"I say," said Harry, "let's cross the fields and go round by the back
lane; we shall then go over the shallows, and Fred has never seen the
stepping-stones."

"How much farther is it?" said Fred.

"Only about a mile," was the reply.

Off they went, over the stile, and then across the dewy grass, over more
fields, glittering in the morning sunlight, and then do