"_Such_ ducks," echoed Hec and Duke. "And they lay such lovely eggs." "What remarkable creatures they must be," said Miss King. "But I must own I don't quite see how they can be _ducks_ if they're cocks and hens." All the children laughed. "They isn't zeally ducks," explained matter-of-fact Duke, condescendingly. "But, you see, we calls zem ducks 'cos zey is so nice and pretty." "Ah yes, I see," said Cousin Magdalen, gravely. "So perhaps when you know me better, if you think me _very_ nice, you'll call me a duck. Will you, Duke? Even though really, you know, I'm an old woman." "Yes," said Duke, "p'raps I will. But I didn't know zou was a _old_ woman." "Didn't you, you dear old man?" said his cousin, laughing. "Never mind, you may call me 'a old duck,' if you like. And after breakfast will you take me to see these wonderful bantams--that's to say if you're allowed to go there." "Oh yes," said Maudie. "We may go whenever we like. They're so tame--indeed, they're too tame, papa says, and that was why he made them a place further away from the house than they used to be. They used to come and hop about all the rooms, and once they laid an egg on one of the library arm-chairs, and another time in papa's paper basket. They thought that was a lovely nest." "And are they better behaved now?" said Miss King. "Oh yes, only sometimes they lay astray. So papa gives us a penny if we find any of their eggs about the field or in the hedges anywhere," said Maudie. "That's what makes Hoodie so fond of going in the cocky field. She's far the cleverest at finding eggs. You should see her--and she's got such a way with the cocks. She can cluck, cluck them close up to her, and often she catches them. They're not a bit afraid of her." "How funny," said Magdalen, not sorry to see Maudie's childish attempt at saying something in praise of her little sister. "I must certainly go with you to see the bantams after breakfast." "Timmediate after breakfast!" said Hec. "Will you come timmediate? For after zen Maudie has lessons." "Yes," said Maudie, "I have lessons. Miss Meade comes from Springley to give me lessons." "And doesn't Hoodie have any?" "Sometimes," replied Maudie. "When she's in a good humour. When she's not, it's no use trying. I heard Miss Meade say so one day, and so now Hoodie very often says she's in a bad humour whether she is or not, 'cos she doesn't like lessons." "She _says_ she's in a bad humour," repeated Magdalen, astonished. "Oh yes, she just calls out to Miss Meade, 'oh, one's come, one's come,' that means a bad humour's come, and once she says that, _nothing's_ any good. She sometimes puts her fingers in her ears if Miss Meade tries to speak to her. So mamma settled it was no good doing anything; it did so interrumpt _my_ lessons, and I'm getting big, you know. But please, Cousin Magdalen, will you come with us just the very minute after breakfast, and then there'll be time?"