As for Olly, he was very much taken up for a time with the red and black
table-cloth, and could not be kept from peering underneath it from time
to time, as if he suspected that the white table-cloth he was generally
accustomed to had been hidden away underneath for a joke. But when the
time for cake came, Olly forgot the table-cloth altogether. He had never
seen a cake quite like the bun-loaf, which kind Mrs. Backhouse had made
herself for the occasion, and of which she had given him a hunch, so in
his usual inquisitive way he began to turn it over and over, as if by
looking at it long enough he could find out how it was made and all
about it. Presently, when the others were all quietly enjoying their
bun-loaf, Olly's shrill little voice was heard saying--while he put two
separate fingers on two out of the few currants in his piece:
"_This_ currant says to _that_ currant, 'I'm here, where are you? You're
so far off I can't see you nowhere.'"
"Olly, be quiet," said Milly.
"Well, but, Milly, I can't help it; it's so funny. There's only three
currants in my bit, and cookie puts such a lot in at home. I'm
pretending they're little children wanting to play, only they can't,
they're so far off. There, I've etten one up. Now there's only two.
That's you and me, Milly. I'll eat you up first--krick!"
"Never mind about the currants, little master," said Mrs. Backhouse,
laughing at him. "It's nice and sweet any way, and you can eat as much
of it as you like, which is more than you can of rich cakes."
Olly thought there was something in this, and by the time he had got
through his second bit of bun-loaf he had quite made up his mind that he
would get Susan to make bun-loaves at home too.
They were just finishing tea when there was a great clatter outside, and
by came the hay-cart with John Backhouse leading the horse, and two men
walking beside it.
"We're going to carry all the hay in yon lower field presently," he
shouted to his wife as he passed. "Send the young 'uns down to see."