But what's the good of fighting when you'll only get the worst of it ?" "Why to show that you're in the right, and that you know you are," said Arthur.

"Good-night, Mary.

We'll have a compost heap of our own this autumn, mark my words." Next day, in spite of my remonstrances, Arthur and Harry came to open war with John, and loudly and long did they rehearse their grievances, when we were out of Father's hearing.
"Have we ever swept our own walks, except that once, long ago, when the German women came round with threepenny brooms ?" asked Arthur, throwing out his right arm, as if he were making a speech.

"And think of all the years John has been getting leaf mould for himself out of our copper beech leaves, and now refuses us a barrow-load of loam!" The next morning but one Harry was late for breakfast, and then it seemed that he was not dressing he had gone out,--very early, one of the servants said.

It frightened me, and I went out to look for him.
When I came upon him in our gardens, it was he who was frightened.
"Oh, dear," he exclaimed, "I thought you were John." I have often seen Harry dirty--very dirty,--but from the mud on his boots to the marks on his face where he had pushed the hair out of his eyes with earthy fingers, I never saw him quite so grubby before.