"That sounds like Mary," said Anne, looking round the open door. "Yes it
is. Come in, Mary. You'll find some friends here."

Mrs Hankworth laughed uproariously. "The baby's holding a reception,"
she said, her huge form shaking.

"It's Mrs Hankworth, I know," said Mary.

"And Mrs Crowther," interposed the latter herself; "we're making sillies
of ourselves over the baby. Here, sit down and take him, Mary."

She set Mary in the chair which she had vacated, and laid the baby on
her knees carefully placing the blind woman's hands over the little
body.

"There's not much of him," said Mary. "What does he like? This?" And
with her hands spread upon the child, she moved her knees backwards and
forwards, clicking her heels on the floor.

"I could soon do it," she said, with a satisfied chuckle.

"I'm sure you could," said Anne.

"It was Peter Molesworth that told me you was here," said Mary, "so I
thought I'd come too."

"Whatever _do_ you think that Peter Molesworth came out with in the
class the other day?" said Mrs Hankworth. "We was having as nice a
meeting as you could wish, and then Peter gets up to give his