"But very often they don't feel that they want them until they see them looking clean and tempting," answered her brother quietly. "A dirty-looking egg will take away some folks' appetites, whereas a clean one will make them feel hungry. There was never anything but good done yet by taking a little trouble over things." Aunt Emma looked unconvinced, but of one thing she could not help being convinced, and that was the good that the work and the interest of it were doing her brother. He no longer worried so cruelly at having to be idle; he felt less depressed, and, as he grew more cheerful, so he grew stronger, and by and by the pain he suffered lessened, and he was able to walk better and do more. So the months wore away, and March came on them all too quickly, and with each week the work in the garden grew heavier. "I do believe we shall have to have in a man to help us another year," sighed Bella, pausing in her digging, and seating herself on an upturned flower-pot for a rest. Tom groaned. "And he'll cost more than he earns, most likely," he said soberly. "Not if----" began Bella; but what she was going on to say was never said, and will never be known now, for at that moment Charlie burst through the gate and along the path in a great state of excitement. "Guess what I've done! Guess what I've bought! Quick, quick, quick!" "Rabbits," said Bella; "and if you have, you must keep them shut up or they'll eat everything." "'Tisn't rabbits. Guess again." "Pigeons?" guessed Tom. "A pair of shears?" said Bella. "A pig?" cried Tom. But Charlie only shook his head more and more emphatically. "Why, a swarm of bees," he burst out, unable to keep his secret any longer, "bee-skip and all; and the man is bringing them almost at once." "Bees?" cried Tom. "What do you know about bees?" "Nothing; but I s'pose I can learn. Come and choose a place for the bee-skip to stand. Where shall they go?" "Oh, not anywhere near me!" cried Bella; "I don't like bees." "P'raps you'll like the honey. The man says he had pounds and pounds of honey last year. Come on, Bella. Come and help me choose a spot." Bella went, but not very joyfully, and Tom followed. "You won't expect me to help you look after them, will you?" she asked nervously, "for I tell you I am afraid of them." "Oh no," said Charlie seriously; "and when the honey is ready for market, I'll walk behind the cart with it, for fear it should sting you." Bella laughed. "Tom," she called back, "can you paint a sign-board? I'm sure we ought to have one over the gate to say 'Fruit, flowers, vegetables, honey, eggs, fowls, porkers, and dried herbs sold here.'" The idea pleased the boys immensely. "Can't we sell anything else?" cried Charlie. "Do try and think of something." "Perhaps Aunt Emma will sell cakes and apple-pasties, and provide tea and coffee for twopence a cup."