Charlotte screamed exactly as a doll screams when you press it in the stomach, and Hamlet was so deeply astonished at the unexpected noise that he stopped his bad behaviour, sat on his hind legs, and gazed up at her with an anxious wondering expression.

In spite of this unfortunate incident, the visit went off well, and Mrs.Cole said that she had never seen anything so lovely as Charlotte, and Mrs.Le Page said, "No, had anyone ever ?" and Charlotte never turned a hair.

The final arrangement was that there should be a picnic and soon, because "Mr.Le Page has to return to Warwickshire to look after the Estate--so tiresome, but I've no doubt it's all going to wrack and ruin without him." After the picnic had been arranged the Coles were, frankly, a little uneasy.

The family of Le Page was not the easiest in the world to entertain, and the thought of a whole day with Mr.Le Page, who was a very black, very silent gentleman and looked as though he were always counting sums over in his head, was truly alarming.

Moreover, in the ordinary way, a picnic, which depended so entirely for its success on the weather, was no great risk, because the Coles were indifferent to rain, as all true Glebeshire people must be.