once, and build the prettiest house we could compass here--and so--
and so--"

Here she lapsed into mere carving, but the tall foreman came up and
said: "Yes, neighbours, that is it: so it is going to be all ashlar
because we want to carve a kind of a wreath of flowers and figures
all round it; and we have been much hindered by one thing or other--
Philippa's illness amongst others,--and though we could have managed
our wreath without her--"

"Could you, though?" grumbled the last-named from the face of the
wall.

"Well, at any rate, she is our best carver, and it would not have
been kind to begin the carving without her. So you see," said he,
looking at Dick and me, "we really couldn't go haymaking, could we,
neighbours? But you see, we are getting on so fast now with this
splendid weather, that I think we may well spare a week or ten days
at wheat-harvest; and won't we go at that work then! Come down then
to the acres that lie north and by west here at our backs and you
shall see good harvesters, neighbours.

"Hurrah, for a good brag!" called a voice from the scaffold above us;
"our foreman thinks that an easier job than putting one stone on
another!"

There was a general laugh at this sally, in which the tall foreman
joined; and with that we saw a lad bringing out a little table into
the shadow of the stone-shed, which he set down there, and then going
back, came out again with the inevitable big wickered flask and tall