it, till I tole 'er 'ow--an' it run up a tree zigzag, and jumped on to another ever so fur. That was when we was pickin' nuts. We went a blackberryin', too, one day.... Na-ow, there warn't nobody dead. An' LILY.... LILY DELVES 'er nime was, b'longed to them I was stoppin' wiv.... I didn't notice partickler.... Older nor you, an' bigger, an' lots redder 'bout the cheeks.... She wasn't a bad sort--fur a gal.... I dunno; I liked _all_ on 'em.... Well, there was Farmer FURROWS, 'e was very familiar, said as 'ow I might go inter 'is horchard an' pick the happles up as was layin' there jest fur the arskin'. An' BOB RUMBLE, 'im as druv Mr. KENNISTER the grocer's cart, 'e used ter gimme a roide along of 'im when 'e was tikin' round porcels an' that. We'd go along lanes that 'igh yer couldn't see nuffink fur leaves; and once 'e druv along a Pork with tremenjus big trees in it, an' stagses walkin' about underneath with grite big 'orns.... Suthink like 'im as is drawed outside the public round the corner--on'y they warn't none o' them gold. I 'speck them gold ones is furrin.... An' the grub--we 'ad beefstike pudd'n o' Sundays, an' as much bread an' treacle every day as ever I could eat, an' I _was_ 'ungry when I was in the kerntry.... An' when I come away Mrs. DELVES she gethered me a big noseguy fur to tike 'ome to Muvver--kissantimums, marigoles, an' dyliers, all sorts there was--an' Muvver she put 'em in a jug, an' soon as ever I shet my eyes an' sniffed, I could see that garding an' _Rover_ an' LILY as _pline_--but they went bad, an' 'ad to be froed aw'y at larst. I shall see 'em all agine very soon now, though, won' thet be proime, eh?... Whatsy? 'Ere, FLORRIE, you ain't _croyin'_, are yer?... Why don't yer arsk yer Farver if 'e won't let _you_ go.... Oh, I thought as yer _wanted_ to go. Then what _are_ yer----?... No, I ain't gled to git aw'y from you.... A-course I shell be gled to see 'er; but that ain't why, it's jest----You ain't never bin in the kerntry, or you'd know 'ow I'm feelin'.... There's the lidy comin' now. I must cut across an' 'ear what she sez to Muvver.... Don' tike on--'tain't on'y fur a fortnight, anyway.... Look 'ere, I got suthink for yer, FLORRIE, bought it orf a man what 'ad a tray on 'em--its a wornut, d'yer see? Now open it--ain't them two little choiner dolls noice, eh?... I'd rorther you 'ad it nor 'er, strite, I would!... I'll be back in a minnit. [Illustration] AFTER AN INTERVAL OF TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.