The're two after the Missus, for all the Colonel's 'ardly cold, so to speak, but I put my money on the dark one." He had hardly uttered these cryptic words when a pretty young woman opened the door which gave on to the stable-yard from the house: "Dinner-time!" she called out merrily.
Both men dropped the brooms they were holding, and going towards the door disappeared.
As they did so, Timmy heard the words:--"_She's_ a peach--thinks herself one too--oh! the merry widder!" The little boy waited a moment.

He took a long look round the sunny, and now unnaturally tidy, stable-yard.

Then he got up, shut his book, and put it sedately into his pocket.

Flick seemed unwilling to move, so Timmy turned and called sharply:--"Flick! come along at once!" The dog jumped down and ran up to his master.

Timmy walked across the big, flat, white stones, kicking a pebble as he went.