's with him. Jack, get a ladder to get her out of the tree."

Jack, the boy, went off, and now the branches were seen to sway
backwards and forwards, the two children chuckling with delight.

"And here I come first," said Master Tom, suddenly descending in so
rapid a manner that he seemed to tumble down amongst the group, and,
stumbling against Joseph, the gardener was tripped up and fell to the
ground.

Nurse tried to seize upon Master Tom, who, however, shook himself free,
leaving it to Joseph and the boy to get Ettie out of the pear-tree.

II.

When Nurse returned to the house with Ettie the first thing she saw was
the turf beneath the nursery window strewn with every possible thing
that Master Tom could find. He himself was looking out of the nursery
window with an armful of Ettie's frocks and sashes, which he aimed at
Nurse and her charge as they came nearer the house.

[Illustration: PLAYING AT RAINY WEATHER. (_See p. 90._)]

"Oh dear! shan't I be glad when you go back to school, Master Tom.
Here's an hour's good work for me in carrying back all these things."

And Nurse wrathfully ascended to the nursery, but Master Tom was not
there.

"Well," said Nurse, "it's a good thing he's gone off by himself, and not
got Miss Ettie with him. You stay here and play with your dolls, and
I'll run down and pick up your frocks and shoes."

So Nurse, having settled Ettie with her playthings, departed.

But she had not been gone a minute before Master Tom put his head in at
the door.

"Ettie," said he, "come down into the drawing-room, and we'll have the
greatest fun in the world. I've got a large umbrella and water-bottles,
so we'll play at rainy weather."

Up jumped Ettie.

"Hush! don't make a noise, or some one will hear us. Come very softly."

And Ettie, on tiptoes, followed Tom to the drawing-room, where, having
locked the door, he provided Ettie with a large umbrella.

"Now sit down on the floor," said he, "and hold it over you. You must
pretend that it is a rainy day, and that you are obliged to shelter
under it."

Down went Ettie on the floor, and up went the umbrella.

"Now," continued Master Tom (who had borrowed a pair of high boots so
that, at least, _he_ should not get wet), "I shall pour water over the
umbrella and it will splash down like rain. You must say, 'What a
dreadful day! What a dreadful storm!'"

"Yes," answered Ettie. "Splash, splash, splash! what a storm! what a
storm!"

And d