"Oh, not yet!" said Vernon."Let's have some fun first.Let's see who are the 'fielders' and who are the 'wooders.' All 'fielders' this way."Mary, Robert, and Horace ranged themselves beside him, leaving Janet and Jack with the young clergyman, whom Vernon called Rod.
Gregory looked at both sides, and did not move.
"Haven't you any views about it?" asked Vernon.
"No," said Gregory; "I never heard the thing before.What does it matter?""Very well, then," said Rod; "here's the tea.You pour it out for us.Ilike three lumps of sugar in mine.Now," he continued, "the rout of the 'fielders' is about to begin.Of course it's 'woods.' Why, I can see the word now in Milton's own handwriting, as I used to see it in the Library at Trinity.""I'm so sure it's 'fields,'" said Vernon, that I declare myself willing to go without cake for tea if it isn't.""Will you put half a crown in the plate next Sunday if it's 'woods'?" said Rod.
"Oh, I say, that's a bit stiff," said Vernon.Half a crown?""Very well, then," said Rod, "two bob.Will you put two bob in the plate next Sunday if it's 'woods'?""Yes, I will," said Vernon."But if it's 'fields,' what will you do? You mayn't take a shilling out?""No," said Rod; "if it's 'fields' I'll eat my best hat.""I hope it's fields,'" said Gregory.
"Horrid little boy!" said Rod."But now we'll see."He opened Milton slowly, and turned over the pages of "Lycidas." "Ha! ha!"he said; "no cake for Charles Vernon, Esquire, and two bob for Mother Church.And my best hat saved.Listen:
"'At last he rose and twitch'd his mantle blue:
To-morrow to fresh woods, and pastures new.'""No cake!" groaned Vernon."Repulsive children!" he continued tragically.
"Why did you knock at this unhappy door and ask your foolish question here?
Are there no other houses in Cirencester? No cake! No cake!"They screamed with laughter.
"I like them," said Rod."They're nice children.I hope they'll come again.
And now for a large tea, with plenty of cake for all but one of us."They would have liked to stay a long time, for Rod and Vernon were very kind and amusing, but Janet had Hester on her mind, left alone in the Slowcoach; and so directly tea was finished they said good-bye.
When Hester was told about their adventure, she said: "How silly you all are!""Why?" they asked indignantly.
"For two reasons," said Hester."One is that it is, of course, 'fresh woods.' Anyone ought to know that.And the other is that we've got the 'Blue Poetry Book' with it in, here in the caravan.""That doesn't matter," said Gregory."We met a jolly decent clergyman."What Hester's great business had been Janet soon learned, for as soon as they were alone Hester slipped some sheets of paper into Janet's hand and asked her to read them very privately.Janet retired to the boudoir end of the caravan and read.It was a poem entitled:
ODE TO THE REV.FRANCIS GASTREEE
(Dedicated to Mr.Nicholas Imber)
O thou most base, Who hadst possession of the dwelling-place Of William Shakespeare, Stratford's loveliest son, What is it thou hast done?
Thou shouldst have treasur'd it, as in a case We keep a diamond or other jewel.
Instead of which thou didst it quite erase, O wicked man, O fool!
What should be done to thee?
Hang'ed upon a tree?
Or in the pillory Placed for all to pelt with eggs and bitter zest?
Aye, that were best.
Would that thou wert i' th' pillory this moment And Stratford all in foment, Thou knave, thou cad, Thou everything that's bad!
HESTER MARGARET AVORY.
Janet said it was splendid, after you had got hold of the difficult rhyming idea.
"That's because it's an ode," said Hester."Odes go like that.All jumpy.
And you mustn't say 'you' in an ode.You must say 'thou."'
"But what shall you do with it?" Janet asked.
"I want to send it to Mr.Imber," said Hester."He said something ought to be done.He gave me his address; do you think we could post it this evening?"Janet said they could, and they walked to the post-office and sent it off, together with a letter to Mrs.Avory, and picture postcards for Runcie and Collins.The budget for X.they kept, as they had not brought his address with them.
