There was no nicer garden in all Surrey than Mr. Woffle's. A funny name
you'll say, but he couldn't help that. One day he came home, and after
first kissing his three children, who were all fairly good ones--you
know what I mean, neither better nor worse than most little children you
and I know--said, the governess, before he went to business, had
mentioned that they had of late attended to their lessons, and he should
be pleased to grant them anything in reason. They all blushed,--Eva, a
soldier's coat colour! James, a light red! and Edwin, a rose-lozenge
hue! The fact was, they had all been saying how they should like to
gather some flowers and have a game at playing at lady and gentleman and
gardener.

They spoke right out and told their father what was in their minds.

He said "By all means, my dears."

Tom became gardener. You can guess who were the others. A very
gentlemanly one he was, too. Full of nice bows and smiles. As for Eva,
she looked quite the grown lady, and acted so well, that when she put
her hand in her pocket for her purse, Edwin was quite surprised to find
that only threepenny and fourpenny pieces came out of it.

"Now what sort of bouquets would your ladyship like me to cut?" asked
Tom, holding up a very pretty rose before his sister.

"I have consulted his lordship, here," answered, Eva, very grandly, "and
I'll have ten dozen in five minutes, like this one in my hand!"