a number of paper bags and
packages strewn around him.

[Illustration: "She came across Tom seated on the ground."]

"Hullo, Una, what are you doing?" he said, glancing rather guiltily at
the parcels, as if he hoped Una would not ask what was in them.

"I came to see if I could find any flowers," answered the little girl.
"Marie has a headache this afternoon, and she said I might go in the
wood just a little way by myself, because I am so tired of being in the
garden."

"I'll show you where you can get some honeysuckle in a minute," said
Tom; "it's just out now, and I know where there are some wild
forget-me-nots growing all round a pool, a little way from here."

He got up and began to collect some of the paper packages into his
arms; then he looked at Una.

"I say, I wonder if you'd help me to carry some of these?" he said. "I
kept dropping them coming along, and the marmalade jar has got
cracked--it's all dripping through the paper; and the apples keep
rolling all over the place," making a sudden dive after a large red
apple as he spoke, and dropping half the other parcels in his efforts
to catch it.

"I will, if it's not farther than the wood," said Una. "I mayn't go in
the road by myself, you know."

"You wouldn't be by yourself, you'd have me," said Tom. "But, anyway,
I'm not going outside the wood--at least, only just on to the common,
and you needn't come so far as that. I say, Una, shall I tell you a
secret?"

Una threw out her hands in the funny little foreign way which was
natural to her, and which always made the little Carews laugh.

"Oh, no, no!" she cried. "Not a secret! _Please_, Tom, don't tell me
one."

CHAPTER VIII.

THE GIPSIES ON THE COMMON.

Tom stared at Una in surprise.

"Well, you are a funny girl," he said, rather gruffly. "I thought
you'd be pleased; it's not often you catch me telling a _girl_ a
secret."

Una bent down and began to pick up some of the fallen parcels. She was
sorry that she had offended Tom, for it was not often that he
condescended to play with or talk to her, and she had felt rather proud
when he had asked her to help him that afternoon.

"I thought _all_ girls liked secrets," went on the boy. "You're not a
bit like Norah. Why, she'd give anything to know my secret this
afternoon."

"Would she? How funny!" said Una, genuinely surprised. "I think
secrets are horrid."

"Secrets horrid? Why, they're lovely!" said Tom. "When Barnes--