"I am sure we shall. I am sure we shall like Fernimoor _much_ better than the seaside," said both boys--"even though we have liked it very much," added tender-hearted d.i.c.k. He was so afraid of Mamma being at all hurt, if she fancied he meant that they had _not_ enjoyed the seaside after all the trouble and expense she and papa had been at to take them there. For, as he told Lancey afterwards, he was sure he had seen Papa pay _three_ gold pounds for their railway tickets at the station the day they came.
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"I hope you will enjoy it very much," said Mamma kindly, "and I am sure you will, and so shall I. It will be so nice to show my little boys some of the places I loved when I was as little as they are."
"And to teach us how to find musherrooms," said d.i.c.k, quite satisfied he had got the hard word right this time.
Fernimoor turned out to be very nice, quite as nice as the boys"
pleasantest fancies had pictured it. The old-fashioned house was the funniest and prettiest in the world, so was the garden, and the uncle and aunt were the kindest and nicest of old uncles and aunts. There was only one disappointment--and that was the mushrooms!
There had been a good crop of them, said Auntie, a week or two ago, but since then it had been so dry--the whole season had been unusually dry--that there were none at all. Possibly in another ten days or so, _if_ it rained, there might be another crop, but then one scarcely dared wish for rain, it would be so bad for the harvest.
So Mamma and her two little squires wandered about the fields in vain, seeking for the pretty creamy egg-like b.a.l.l.s among the gra.s.s, which Mamma had so often described.
"It can"t be helped," she said. "It"s better than if it had done nothing but rain. That would have spoilt our visit, even if we had had basketfuls of mushrooms."
But Lancey and d.i.c.k didn"t seem quite sure that they agreed with her.
They had got the idea of mushrooms so in their heads that I don"t think they would have grumbled even if it _had_ rained.
"If only there are some before Mamma"s birthday, it won"t matter so much," said hopeful little d.i.c.k.
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Mamma"s birthday was the thirteenth of September, and that year it fell on a Monday. All Friday and Sat.u.r.day it had rained--really poured--and every one was surprised that Lancey and d.i.c.k did not grumble at it. By Sunday morning it cleared, and Lancey who was dressed first, ran out into the garden for a stroll before breakfast. Here he met a friend of his--an under-gardener, who had come to do some little piece of work about the hot-houses, which could not be neglected even on Sunday.
"Fine morning, Master Lancey," said the lad. "My, how it did pour yesterday!"
"Griffith," said Lancey, "will the rain have brought up any mushrooms, do you think?"
"Bless you, yes. See here, Master Lancey, just you go down the lane to the left of the lodge till you come to a cottage, then creep through the gate opposite--it"s awkward to open, but you"ll easily get through--and see if you don"t find mushrooms. There"ll be lots by to-morrow if we"ve some sun to-day."
"It"s to-morrow I want to get them--to-morrow morning early," said Lancey. "Thank you, Griffith."
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After breakfast, d.i.c.k in turn went out for a little fresh air--_he_ strolled towards the stables, as he was very fond of one of the dogs there. On his way he came across a groom called Nicholls.
"Good morning, Nicholls," said d.i.c.k. "Should you think, Nicholls, there"d be any mushrooms by to-morrow morning?"
"Sure to be, Master d.i.c.k. If you"re up early, I"ll show you the best field in the place for them. Come out to the stable-yard as soon as you"re dressed, and I"ll show you the way."
"Thank you, Nicholls," said d.i.c.k. "Yes, I"ll come. Don"t tell anybody else, Nicholls."
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"No, no, sir, we"ll keep it a secret."
Lancey and d.i.c.k went to church together and were together as usual all day. But strange to tell, not one word was said by either boy to the other about their plans for the next morning. Some mischievous sprite had put it into their heads, for almost the first time in their lives, to have a secret, and not a kind secret either, each from the other.
"I"m the eldest," thought Lancey. "I think it"s only fair I should get the mushrooms for Mamma"s birthday."
"Lancey"s bigger and stronger than I am," thought d.i.c.k. "If he went with me, he"d gather ever so many more, and Mamma wouldn"t think it was me at all that had got them."
Monday morning came. The boys slept in separate rooms at Auntie"s. Each had a tiny dressing-room with a sofa-bed, so it was easy to get up and dress without "brother" knowing. Lancey was first, but it took him some little time to find Griffith, and to ask him again where to go, which he had partly forgotten. d.i.c.k was luckier, for Nicholls was waiting for him, and took him by what he called a short cut, to the field he had described, and helped him over the hedge, telling him the mushrooms grew thickest "a bit up the field."
Up the field trotted d.i.c.k, but he had not gone far before he stopped short in surprise. Who was that coming towards him from the other end?
And "who can that be?" thought the new-comer, as a small, stout figure caught _his_ eye--a round, brown-holland little person, not unlike a mushroom b.u.t.ton on two legs. "I do believe," he said aloud, "I do believe it"s d.i.c.k."
"I do believe," said d.i.c.k. "I do believe it"s Lancey."
They stared at each other for a few minutes, not quite sure what to say or do. Then they thought better of it and burst out laughing.
"It"s no good doing without each other," said both together.
The mushrooms were plentiful, and the gathering of them proved quite as nice as Mamma had told them. And it was two very happy little boys who carried up a splendid plateful with "many happy returns" to her door that morning.
But when Mamma had kissed and thanked them, each looked at the other.
"Mamma," said both together, "we weren"t going to have been quite good about them," and then they told the whole. "But it was all right at the end," they said, "and oh, Mamma, how do you like the mushrooms cooked?
Fried or with sauce? Auntie told us to ask."
"I don"t mind," said Mamma, "they are sure to taste good any way, now that they are flavoured with Lancey"s and d.i.c.k"s brotherly love."
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A REMARKABLE WATCH.
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"May we bathe this morning, Mamma?" said the children, putting their heads in at the door of the drawing-room.
Mamma glanced at the time-piece.
"It is rather late," she said doubtfully. "You would have to be very quick. Which of the big ones are going with you?"
"None of them," answered Joan, the smallest of the small party. "They"ve all gone for a walk except Lilly, and she"s drawing in the garden, but I"m sure she"d come if we asked her. Lilly"s always so kind--if only you"d say we might."
"It _is_ so fine and sunny, and the tide won"t suit again for ever so many days," added two or three imploring voices.
"Very well, then if Lilly will go you may bathe, but you _must_ be quick. I can"t have luncheon kept waiting again," said Mamma.
In another moment loud eager cries from the garden reached her through the open window. "Lilly, Lilly, where are you? Mamma says if you will come--" and then the voices faded away in the distance.
"Poor Lilly," thought Mamma, with a smile. "I wonder if it"s a shame of me to let those wild children torment her. I dare say she was counting on a quiet morning."