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herself lying at the bottom of the steps in a pool of milk. It appeared she had fallen down the whole flight, and Mildred, rushing to the rescue, had flung the milk in horror to the floor. (This incident was also notable for the fury which it aroused in Gwen. When she came home from school and heard of it, she exploded into a passion of rage, stamped her foot and screamed at Mildred for not taking better care of Laura. She also seized Laura, hugged her passionately, then made her undress—in the middle of the day!—held up her thin little arms and made her bend them to show whether they were broken, andfinally compelled Papa, who thought little of the matter, yes, by sheer importunity compelled him to send for the doctor! Laura was amazed, and even a little ashamed; she had no idea Gwen could be so kind and nice. For a day or two she loved Gwen dearly, and everything was splendid. Then the holidays came, Ludo was late for breakfast and Gwen was cross again and the world darkened, for Laura could not love anyone who was cross with Ludo.) But there it was; defy these oppressing powers, and disaster inevitably occurred. There was that other day, for instance, when Mildred had gone home to see her mother who was ill, and Laura took her walk with Ada. Joyously she bowled her forbidden hoop along beside her in the street. It was a wooden hoop, with a wooden stick; Ludo, who had an iron hoop and an iron stick with a hook, rather scorned it, but Laura was deeply attached to her hoop, and Ludo had taught her how to make it perform skilful evolutions. (Laura was deeply attached to all her inanimate properties; they were not lifeless, but simply rather differently constructed portions of the same universe, to her.) Well! She and Ada went out joyously with the hoop, and Laura made the hoop curve and go fast and slow, and Ada admired her —when suddenly the hoop ran off the pavement into the road. Laura dashed after it, but the hoop began to sway and fall, and somehow became inextricably entangled with the huge hairy hoofs of a carthorse with feathered ankles. It was an awful moment; the carter shouted, Ada screamed, a huge hoof seemed to tower above Laura’s face. Next minute everything was all right again; the carter reined back the horse so fiercely that its mouth opened, showing its big yellow teeth, and Laura flew through the air to the pavement, jerked by the full power of Ada’s arm. Even the hoop was not harmed. It was an alarming experience, however; Laura felt quite shaky as she walked home, and clung tightly to Ada, who carried the hoop awkwardly in her other hand. What would Gwen say? Laura sighed.
    â€œAda,” she suggested as they approached Blackshaw House:“I don’t think we need tell anybody about the horse, need we?”
    â€œVery well, Miss Laura,” agreed Ada faintly.
    â€œExcept Ludo,” concluded Laura.
    On some afternoons of the week Ludo and Gwen were at home, and on others they were at school; Laura at first had difficulty in understanding which was which, until Ludo taught her the names of the days of the week, when she rapidly learned that his half-holidays were Wednesday and Saturday. These days were joyous days, except when Ludo went out to tea or to play with other schoolboys, and this did not happen very often, it seemed. If the day was fine, all three children went out for a walk together, with or without Mildred according to the degree of her occupation. But these walks were different from the tedious morning parade. Gwen and Mildred dropped behind, discussing frocks and hairdressing; Ludo and Laura ranged ahead, and thus to some extent led the way. Now Ludo and Laura had the same taste in walks; they liked to climb hills and feel the wind, and if the road proved rocky, they were by so much the happier. There were a great many hills all round Hudley, indeed Ludo said Hudley was famous for its hills; they curved in and out of each other, making long winding