ly too well.
It was forbidden to gather roots from the woods, but no authority had
dreamt of forbidding visitors to carry away _soil_, and this was just
what Mrs Garnett invariably insisted upon doing. The red-brown earth,
rich with sweet fragments of leaf and twig, was too tempting to be
resisted when she thought of her poor pot-bound plants at home;
therefore, instead of swinging homewards with baskets light as air, the
boys were doomed to bear even heavier weights than on the outward
journey.

"Mother!" cried Clemence in a deep tone of protest. "Not _yet_!
Remember the walk across the fields. Plenty of time to get soil in the
Amphitheatre!" And Mrs Garnett put down her trowel with quite a guilty
air and resigned herself to wait.

"Well! Perhaps it would be best ... Mrs Vernon and I would like an
hour's rest before going on. What are _you_ going to do now?"

Every one waited for every one else, and no suggestion was forthcoming.
The boys were once more beginning to roll about on the grass, poking and
pulling at each other in a manner which foretold the beginning of war.
Clemence and Vie were gazing sentimentally through the branches. Plain
Hannah, stretched flat along the ground, was barricading the movements
of a tiny beetle, and chuckling over its persistent efforts to outwit
her schemes. Dan sat with arms clasped around his knees, a picture of
patience on a monument. The sight of his twisted lips, his tilted,
disconsolate chin fired Darsie to action. It was her doing that he was
here at all; it was her duty to make the time pass as agreeably as
possible.

"Sports!" she cried quickly. "Competitive sports. We'll each plan an
event, and take them in turns. Dan shall be judge, and the one who gets
most marks shall have a prize."

"What prize?"

That was a stumper. Darsie could suggest nothing better than a general
subscription.

"If we each paid a penny entrance--"

"Oh, be bothered the pennies! I'll give a prize!" cried Dan loftily.
Darsie saw with joy that he had brisked up at the prospect of sports and
was already beginning to cast his eye around in professional manner,
taking in the lie of the land, the outstanding features of the position.
As judge and manager he was in his element, and each suggestion of an
event was altered and amended with a lordly superiority. It is somewhat
difficult to introduce much variety into a programme of impromptu
sports, but one or two of this afternoon's