weather wouldn't matter so much. They say the wet weather keeps their
joints supple. It's the dry weather and frost that's so hard to play in.
Ted's always one for a lot of sport, specially football. Such a mess as
he comes home sometimes. 'You must clean your own clothes,' I always
says to him. We have a joke at him, that when he wins one of these
competitions (he's always one for going in for these guessing
competitions that promises such a lot of money if you put in an odd word
somewhere). He's always bound to win every time he goes in, and we tell
him that when he wins it, he can keep a servant to clean his trousers
after every football match. 'I shan't let any of you have any of it you
don't take care,' he says; 'I'll be laughing at you before long, see if
I'm not. Wait till you all come asking for rides on my motor-bike;
what'll you say then?' he says. 'Eh!' says his father, 'I shall say
there's more fools in the world than one!' Well Miss Hilton, good
morning; I'm very glad to see you any time. I'm alone a good lot now,
you know. It's not like it was once with children all round the kitchen.
I'm glad of a bit of company now sometimes. Why, it's beautiful now!"
she concluded, opening the door and stepping out in front of Anne,
looking round the sky with eyes which blinked a little under the strong
light.




CHAPTER XI


Next day at daybreak the country was whitened by a light mist. The birds
sang incessantly with long ecstatic calling from throats which had drunk
the air of the dawn and retained something of its quality. Coolness