“Patrins!” said Mrs Johnson. “So Sniffer told you about those? But I really don’t think you should visit the gypsy camp. Those particular gypsies are a surly, bad-tempered lot.”

“Did you ever hear the tale of the Big Bartles?” said Henry, getting ready to relate it, and add little bits of her own, here and there!

“No. But it can wait, I’m sure,” said Mrs Johnson, knowing Henry’s habit of leaving her food quite uneaten once she began on some marvellous tale. “Is it one of your tales? You can tell it after supper.”

“It’s not Henry’s tale,” said George, annoyed that Henry should get all the limelight again, and take the blacksmith’s tale for her own. “It’s one old Ben told us. Ju, you tell it!”

“Nobody is to tell it now,” said Captain Johnson. “You came in late for supper, we waited for you, and the least you can do is to get on with your eating.”

The five juniors at the other table were disappointed. They had hoped to hear another of Henry’s marvellous stories. But Captain Johnson was hungry and tired.

“Old Ben is a great age, as you said,” began Henry, after a few mouthfuls. “He -”

“Not another word, please, Henrietta,” said the captain, curtly. Henry went red and George grinned, kicking at Dick under the table. Unfortunately she kicked Henry instead, and the girl glared at her for a whole minute.

“Oh dear!” thought Anne. “Just as we’d had such a lovely day! I suppose we’re all tired and scratchy.”

“Why did you kick me?” began Henry in a cross voice, as soon as she and George left the table with the others.

“Shut up, you two,” said Julian. “She probably meant to kick me or Dick, not you.”

Henry shut up. She didn’t like Julian to tick her off. George looked mutinous and went off with Timmy.

Dick yawned. “What jobs are there to do, if any?” he said. “Don’t say there’s washing-up again. I feel I might break a few things.”

Mrs Johnson heard him and laughed. “No, there’s no washing-up. The woman has come in to do it tonight. Have a look at the horses - and see that Jenny the mare is not with Flash, you know she doesn’t like her for some reason, and will kick out at her. She must always be kept in another field.”

“That’s all right, Mrs Johnson,” said William, suddenly appearing, stolid and competent as ever. “I’ve seen to that. I’ve seen to everything, really.”

“You’re better than any stable-boy, William,” said Mrs Johnson, smiling at him. “I wish you’d take a permanent job here!”

“I wish you meant that,” said William, earnestly. There was nothing he would have liked better! He went off looking pleased.

“I think you’d better all go to bed then, as William appears to have done everything necessary,” said Mrs Johnson. “Any plans for tomorrow?”

“Not yet,” said Julian, trying to stop a yawn. “So if you want anything done, we’ll do it.”