g round another idea caught
him. "Where's muzzer?" he said suddenly.

"Mother is rather tired this morning," said his father. "Eat your
breakfast, dear," and then he turned to talk to Percy and ask him
questions as to how he was getting on at school.

For a minute or two neither of them noticed Ted. He sat quietly at his
place, his bowl of bread and milk before him, but he made no attempt to
eat it. Then Percy happened to see him.

"Aren't you hungry, Ted?" he said.

Ted looked up with his two blue eyes full of tears.

"Ses," he said, "Ted's hungry. But if muzzer doesn't come down Ted can't
eat. Ted won't eat nothing all day, and he'll die."

"Not quite so bad as that," said his father quietly, for he did not
want Ted to see that it was difficult not to smile at his funny way of
speaking, "for see here is mother coming."

Ted danced off his seat with pleasure.

"It's dedful when thoo's not here," he said feelingly, and now the bread
and milk was quickly despatched. "When I'm big," he continued, in the
intervals of the spoonfuls, "I'll have a house as big--as big as a
mountain," his eyes glancing out of the window, "and all the little boys
in the world shall live there with all their favers and muzzers, and
Percies, and everybodies, and nobody shall never go away, not to school
or bidness, or nothing, so that they'll all be togever always."

Ted looked round for approval, and then took another spoonful.

"What a nice place you'll make of the world, my boy, when you're big,"
said his father.

"Ses," said Ted with satisfaction.

"But as that time hasn't come yet, I'm afraid I _must_ go to my
'bidness,'" his father went on. For he had to go several times a week a
good way into the country, to see that his men were all doing their work
properly. "And Percy must go with me to-day," he went on, "for he needs
some new clothes, and I shall be driving through A----," which was the
nearest town to which they lived.

Percy's face looked very pleased, but Ted's grew rather sad.

"Never mind, Teddy," whispered Percy. "We'll have lots of days. You must
have a good game with Chevie to keep up your spirits."

"And David is going to cut the grass to-day," said his father, "so you
will have plenty of fun."

"But Ted must be careful," said his mother; "don't touch David's sharp
tools, Ted. I was quite frightened the other day," she added; "Ted was
trying to open and shut those great big shears for clipping the
borders."