hands will be washed, and you can come."

Her hands were in the water now. "O, how vexing!" she exclaimed.
"There's not a drop of water left for you, unless you draw it, and the
well is I don't know how many furlongs deep; all that was in the pitcher
I used for the kettle and this basin. Do you mind dipping the tips of
your fingers in the same?"

"Not at all. And to save time I won't wait till you have done, if you
have no objection?"

Thereupon he plunged in his hands, and they paddled together. It being
the first time in his life that he had touched female fingers under
water, Dick duly registered the sensation as rather a nice one.

"Really, I hardly know which are my own hands and which are yours, they
have got so mixed up together," she said, withdrawing her own very
suddenly.

"It doesn't matter at all," said Dick, "at least as far as I am
concerned."

"There! no towel! Whoever thinks of a towel till the hands are wet?"

"Nobody."

"'Nobody.' How very dull it is when people are so friendly! Come here,
Mr. Dewy. Now do you think you could lift the lid of that box with your
elbow, and then, with something or other, take out a towel you will find
under the clean clothes? Be sure don't touch any of them with your wet