ld gladly have stayed much longer to go fully into the
painting of the elevator, and other like subjects; but he had been
warned not to take up much of Tuvvy's time, so he unwillingly started
home with Maisie, clutching his piece of wood under his arm. Until they
reached the village, he was so lost in thought that he did not utter a
word, but then, coming to a sudden standstill, he exclaimed: "Why
shouldn't we paint the jackdaws' house!"

Maisie was struck by the brilliancy of the idea. She stopped too, and
gazed at Dennis with admiration.

"It would be splendid," she said. "Do you think Aunt Katharine would
let me help?"

"Why, of course," said Dennis; "it's _quite_ a different thing from
using tools. _Any one_ can paint!"

"Only the splashes," said Maisie a little doubtfully. "Tuvvy said you
got splashed all over. Aunt Katharine mightn't like me to spoil my
frocks."

"As to that," said Dennis, "you could wear a big apron. Painters always
do. Hulloa! it's raining!"

So it was. The bright sunshine had vanished, and the sky was downcast
and grey. First it rained gently, then faster, then it made up its mind
in good earnest, and a regular downpour of drops pattered on the hedges,
and fell softly on the dusty roads.

"How pleased old Sally will be," said Maisie, "because of the greens!"

"P'r'aps we'd better go in somewhere," said Dennis, looking at his
sister's frock; "you're getting awfully wet, and we haven't got an
umbrella."

They were just passing Dr Price's lodgings. Snip and Snap, who stood at
the gate snuffing up the moist fresh air with their black noses, wagged
their stumpy tails in a friendly manner to the children, and growled at
Peter at the same time.

"You go in," continued Dennis, hurrying his sister up to the door, "and
I'll run home and fetch umbrellas and cloaks for you. Aunt Katharine
always says you're not to get wet."

Maisie would much rather have gone on with Dennis, and did not mind the
rain a bit; but it was quite true that Aunt Katharine did not like her
to get wet. So she yielded, and stood waiting in the little porch for
the door to be opened, while Dennis sped up the road, and was soon out
of sight.

"Come in, dearie, and welcome," said Mrs Budget, the doctor's landlady,
when Maisie had asked for shelter, "and I'll just get a clean cloth and
take off the worst of the damp."

She led the way to a very clean kitchen, talking all the while, and
flapped vigorously a