'Oh, that's clothes! Spoiling fun is worse.'

'But were you really going with the old Halfpenny, Gill?' said Mysie,
turning to her.

'Yes,' said Gillian. 'You know I can manage her pretty well when it is
only the little ones and they wouldn't have any pleasure otherwise.'

'Oh come, Gill,' intreated Fergus, 'or nurse will make us sit in the
donkey-cart all the time while Lois picks the blackberries!'

'Mamma, do tell her not to come,' intreated Valetta, and more of them
joined in with her.

'No, my dears, I don't like to vex her when she thinks she is doing her
duty.'

'She wouldn't come if you did, mamma,' and there was a general outcry
of intreaty that mamma would come with them, and defend them from Mrs.
Halfpenny, as Fergus, who was rather a formal little fellow, expressed
it, and mamma, after a little consideration, consented to drive the
pony-carriage in that direction, and to announce to Nurse Halfpenny
that she herself would take charge of the children. Whereupon there
was a whoop and a war-dance of jubilee, quite overwhelming to Dolores,
who could not but privately ask Mysie if Nurse Halfpenny was so very
cross.

'Awfully,' said Mysie, and Wilfred added--