breakfast, she found Frank standing in the hall with his gun, of
which he was trying the lock. "It is not loaded, is it, Frank?"
said she.

"Oh dear, no; no one thinks of loading now-a-days till he has got
out of the house. Directly after breakfast I am going across with
Godfrey to the back of Greystock, to see after some moor-fowl. He
asked me to go, and I couldn't well refuse."

"Of course not. Why should you?"

"It will be deuced hard work to make up the time. I was to have
been up at four this morning, but that alarum went off and never
woke me. However, I shall be able to do something to-night."

"Don't make a slavery of your holidays, Frank. What's the good of
having a new gun if you're not to use it?"

"It's not the new gun. I'm not such a child as that comes to. But,
you see, Godfrey is here, and one ought to be civil to him. I'll
tell you what I want you girls to do, Bessy. You must come and meet
us on our way home. Come over in the boat and along the path to the
Patterdale road. We'll be there under the hill about five."

"And if you are not, we are to wait in the snow?"

"Don't make difficulties, Bessy. I tell you we will be there. We
are to go in the cart, and so shall have plenty of time."

"And how do you know the other girls will go?"