favorite bramble-bushes smiling to himself. He smiled and smiled until
Jenny Wren had to bite her tongue to keep from asking what was pleasing
him so.

[Illustration with caption: "THE QUICKEST WAY FOR ME TO KNOW IS FOR YOU
TO TELL ME," REPLIED JIMMY.]

"He looks tickled almost to death over something, but very likely if I
should ask him what it is he wouldn't tell me," thought Jenny Wren. "I
guess I'll look around a bit first. I wonder where Mrs. Peter is."

So leaving Peter to smile to his heart's content, she went peeking and
peering through the Old Briar-patch. Of course it wasn't a nice thing to
do, not a bit nice. But Jenny Wren didn't stop to think of that. By and
by she saw something that made her flutter all over with excitement. She
looked and looked until she could sit still no longer. Then she hurried
back to where Peter was sitting. He was still smiling.

"Oh, Peter Rabbit, it's perfectly lovely!" she cried.

Peter looked up quickly, and a worried look chased the smile away.
"Hello, Jenny Wren! Where did you come from? I haven't seen you since I
got back," said he.

"I've been so busy that I haven't had time to call before," replied
Jenny. "I know what you've been smiling about, Peter, and it's perfectly
splendid. Has everybody heard the news?"

"No," said Peter, "nobody knows it but you, and I don't want anybody
else to know it just yet. Will you keep it a secret, Jenny Wren?"