"Thanks, Reuben," he said. "I'd forgotten I asked you to wake me. Hope you haven't cracked the window."

"Come out quietly, then, and take some tea with us," said the gipsy. "We must be off soon, for the day will be hot and we have far to go on the Ludlow road."

So David washed and dressed and slipped quietly out of the front door. Over by the caravan a wood fire crackled and burned up brightly, and Miranda stirred something in the black pot. She looked up as David came towards her through the wet grass and smiled a welcome.

Reuben came down the steps of the van with a teapot and three mugs in his hand. He jerked his head in the direction of the caravan roof at David's questioning glance, and the latter saw then that the stove inside was alight and the chimney smoking. He leaned against a wheel and cupped his cold hands round the mug, while the gipsies sipped their tea as if it was only lukewarm.

"You will tell the pretty Petronella that the Romany kept their word," Miranda said, and when David nodded, "Of course," she went on-- "Tell her from us to keep away from the top of the mountain over there and wish her luck for us... And when we have gone wish good luck also to your lady-mother for her hospitality... Ask her, if you please, to take this gift from her Romany friends."

And here Reuben reached up into the van and brought out two baskets.

"This for the lady," he said, "and this one for the little dog. It will fix on the bicycle and he will travel all the way."

David thanked him and listened as Reuben went over their route again.

"It's your quickest way to go straight for the mountain and then down the Dingle. At the foot of the hill this side as you come to it, you will find an inn called 'Hope Anchor.' Bide there awhile afore you climb up and if weather looks bad and you cannot see the rocks of the Chair - well bide where you are and don't go up. If 'tis fine and clear you will soon be up and over..."

Just then there was a frantic barking and Dickie, Mary and Macbeth erupted from the front door.

David put down his mug hurriedly. He knew what was going to happen and was wondering what he was going to say. The twins had blue raincoats on over their pyjamas. Mary was stumbling along in odd Wellingtons, while Dickie flapped over the damp grass in David's house slippers. Macbeth, of course, was ready for anything, and was extremely noisy.

"Hello," said David. "What woke you up? You were asleep, Dickie, when I came down..."

"So that's just it," panted Dickie. "Did you hear him, twin? Just what we thought..."

"Of course," said Mary. "Just what we thought.