through your window last night. I saw the lettuce, and I heard what you
said about the salmon being three-halfpence cheaper, and I know it is
very dishonourable to pry into other people's secrets, especially
ladies', and I never will again if you will forgive me this once.'

Then the lady frowned and then she laughed, and then she said--

'So it was you tumbling into the flower-pots last night? We thought it
was burglars. It frightened us horribly. Why, what a bump on your poor
head!'

And then she talked to me a bit, and presently she said she and her
sister had not wished people to know they were at home, because--And
then she stopped short and grew very red, and I said, 'I thought you
were all at Scarborough; your servant told Eliza so. Why didn't you
want people to know you were at home?'

The lady got redder still, and then she laughed and said--

'Never mind the reason why. I hope your head doesn't hurt much. Thank
you for your nice, manly little speech. _You've_ nothing to be ashamed
of, at any rate.' Then she kissed me, and I did not mind. And then she
said, 'Run away now, dear. I'm going to--I'm going to pull up the blinds
and open the shutters, and I want to do it at _once_, before it gets dark,
so that every one can see we're at home, and not at Scarborough.'



CHAPTER 4
GOOD HUNTING