thout troubling to come home
to see us.'

'It was very impertinent,' said the elder sister, 'but I think you make
friends too quickly. You told Priscilla Beckingham our whole history
almost the first day we were at school. None of the girls would say such
a thing as that to _me_.'

Frances was on the brink of a still more indignant reply, when
Phebe--one of whose best points was a very sweet temper, which made her
always ready to avert a storm if she could--broke in, just in time.

'Miss Jacinth,' she said, 'I think we should be turning towards home.
We've been here longer than you'd think, and Master Eugene will be
getting tired.'

'I'm not a bit tired,' said the little boy, 'but I'll tell you what I
am, or what I'm going to be, and that's awfully nungry. Talking of
bringing our dinner or tea out with us next summer has put it into my
head. If even I'd a bit of bread, I'd eat it.'

'Come on, then,' said Jacinth, encouragingly, 'the sooner we go, the
sooner we'll be home. And we can have tea the minute we get in, can't
we, Phebe, even if it's not quite five o'clock.'

'Certainly, miss, I don't think there'll be any difficulty about that,'
said Phebe, who was pretty well persuaded in her own mind that it would
be quite the orthodox tea-time before they could reach Market Square
Place.

The first part of the way was pleasant walking, even though they were
beginning to be just a little tired, for it was over level ground; but
the next two miles were stiffer, for they were almost entirely up-hill,
which had naturally made the outstart down-hill, an easy commencement
of the expedition.

Eugene was soon rather done up, though he would not hear of Phebe's
carrying him.

'If it wasn't so climby, I wouldn't mind,' he said, 'but my legs does
get so tired of always shortening themselves up.'

'Never mind, Master Eugene,' said the maid; 'we'll be at the back end of
the Redbreast Lane, directly, and after that, there's no more climbing.'

'And once there we shall be less than a mile from home,' said Jacinth.
'Oh Francie, do you remember how nice it was at Stannesley with the old
donkey, whenever we were going a long walk?'

'And granny watching for us at home with tea in her own sitting-room for
a treat, and those _exquisite_ little scones,' said Frances. 'Oh don't
speak of it.'

'No, please don't,' said Eugene, 'for it makes me nungrier and nungrier.
And--I'm afraid I'm beginning to be _firsty_ too, and that's wors