’Well, I suppose I must get into a dog collar as I’ve got this beastly clerical meeting.’ And mother laughed,— ’I don’t think the collar makes much difference when the rest of you smells so of dogs and stables.’ And then she added in her delicious Irish brogue, ’I know it isn’t seemly to ask a parson to leave the Word of God and serve tables, but _do_ you know a savoury that would do for to-night?’ And daddy said,— ’I’ve just seen a beauty in the woods.’ ’What _do_ you mean, Anthony,’ laughed mother. And father replied,— ’An angel on horseback, darling,’ and told her not to blush. He came in then, and saw me, and said,— ’Hallo, little ’un, what are you doing here?’ ’I thought _I_ had to come, father, as I did it.’ ’Oh—ah, yes, of course—I’ve got to give you the biggest thrashing you’ve ever had in your life, haven’t I?’ And he sat down and pulled me on his knee. ’Why did you do it, Meg? No, don’t say it was your Irish grandmother’ (taking the very words out of my mouth) ’it was pure, unadulterated devil, and mother doesn’t feel that she can ever let you go out in the woods again, and I don’t think the boys will take the responsibility of you any more, either.’ ’Father!’ I exclaimed, going cold all over. ’Well, you see, darling, it isn’t the first time is it? There was that wasps’ nest, for instance. You know those boys do understand that sort of thing. And unless you promise in future you will do exactly what they tell you, I won’t let you go, but shall keep you chained up in my dressing-room. I really can’t let my only daughter drown, I shouldn’t mind so much if I had dozens. Promise?’ So I said, ’Yes, daddy, sorry, I——’ But father interrupted. ’I’ve simply got to give you a thrashing as well, little ’un, because once or twice before you’ve said you were sorry, but it will have to be a moral one. I can’t thrash a thing your size; why _don’t_ you grow? I’m sure you could if you really tried, it’s just cussedness. Now you go down to Sam and Ross, they’re in the harness room, and tell them you’re sorry and that you’re going to do what they tell you in future.’ And I said, ’Daddy, I simply couldn’t; why, I’d never hear the last of it, I couldn’t get it out.’ So father said, ’Well, you can take your choice between your pride and the Hickley Woods, darling.’ So I went down to the harness room and got it out somehow. Ross said, ’Oh, I say, Meg, _don’t_ say any more, it won’t make a scrap of difference, but if you wouldn’t mind about wasps’ nests and that kind of thing, we would be so obliged, wouldn’t we, Sam?’ And Sam said ’Rather’ and gave me a red apple. I always got one from Sam if I were in a row.... Of course, I’ve had a dog’s life with the pair of them ever since. *CHAPTER V*