"You know where the grey rock crops out, don't you, Jemima? Well, there was a complete carpet of strawberry runners. So pretty! And we could hardly step without treading the little bright scarlet berries under foot." "We did so wish for Leonard," put in Mary. "Yes! but Mrs Denbigh gathered a great many for him. And Mr Farquhar gave her all his." "I thought you said he had gone on to Dawson's farm," said Jemima. "Oh, yes! he just went up there; and then he left his horse there, like a wise man, and came to us in the pretty, cool, green wood. Oh, Jemima, it was so pretty--little flecks of light coming down here and there through the leaves, and quivering on the ground. You must go with us to-morrow." "Yes," said Mary, "we're going again to-morrow. We could not gather nearly all the strawberries." "And Leonard is to go too, to-morrow." "Yes! we thought of such a capital plan. That's to say, Mr Farquhar thought of it--we wanted to carry Leonard up the hill in a king's cushion, but Mrs Denbigh would not hear of it." "She said it would tire us so; and yet she wanted him to gather strawberries!" "And so," interrupted Mary, for by this time the two girls were almost speaking together, "Mr Farquhar is to bring him up before him on his horse." "You'll go with us, won't you, dear Jemima?" asked Elizabeth; "it will be at--" "No! I can't go!" said Jemima, abruptly. "Don't ask me--I can't." The little girls were hushed into silence by her manner; for whatever she might be to those above her in age and position, to those below her Jemima was almost invariably gentle. She felt that they were wondering at her. "Go upstairs and take off your things. You know papa does not like you to come into this room in the shoes in which you have been out."