Caroline and Barbara were full of news. "Everything is ready for you, darling," said Caroline, her arm tucked into his. "You'll feel quite at home directly you get into the house; and there are very few more arrangements to make. We've been working like slaves, and all the servants too." "The Dragon has had a headache, but she has done more than anybody," said Barbara. "It's all perfectly lovely, Daddy. We do like being country people awfully. We went down to the village in the rain this afternoon--the Dragon and all. That made me feel it, you know." "It made us feel it, when you stepped into a puddle and splashed us all over," said Caroline. "George dear, we've had callers already." "That ought to have cheered you up," said Grafton. "Who were they?" "All clerical. I think Lord Salisbury put them on to us. He wants us to be in with the clergy." "What do you mean? Lord Salisbury!" "The Reverend Salisbury Mercer. I called him that first," said Barbara. "He likes us. He's been in and out, and given us a lot of advice. He likes me especially. He looked at me with a loving smile and said I was a sunbeam." "We had Mr. Cooper, Rector of Surley, and his two daughters," said Caroline. "He is a dear old thing and keeps bees. The two daughters look rather as if they had been stung by them. They are very officious, but sweeter than honey and the honeycomb at present. They said it was nice to have girls living in a house near them again; they hadn't had any for some years-- I should think it must be about thirty, but they didn't say that. They said they hoped we should see a good deal of one another." "I _don't_ think," said Beatrix. "Who were the others?" "Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Vicar and Vicaress of I've forgotten what. They were quite nice. Genial variety." "The Breezy Bills we called them," said Barbara. "They almost blew us out of the house. He carpenters, and she breeds Airedales, and shows them. She brought one with her--a darling of a thing. They've promised us a puppy and a kennel to put it in already." "You didn't ask her for one, did you?" asked Grafton. "If she breeds them for show we ought to offer to pay for it." "Oh, you're going to _pay_ for it all right, darling. You needn't worry about that. The kennel too. But you're going to get that for the cost of the wood and the paint. He isn't going to charge anything for his time. He laughed heartily when he said that. I like the Breezy Bills. They're going to take us out otter hunting when the time comes."