And there was no more inattention from Dreamikins that morning.
In a few days lessons were firmly established. Miss Fletcher was fond of teaching, and did it in a happy way. The little girls all enjoyed the lessons, but the time they liked best was the half-hour in the middle of the morning, when they had a break and could do what they liked. It was this half-hour which helped Miss Fletcher to understand and know her little pupils. She heard all about Cherubine and her dismissal, and the coming of Er. She was told about the plans of befriending the hungry and thirsty and sick, and the stranger in want of a bed. And then she started a little working party for some poor ragged children. She said if they liked to have it on Saturday afternoon she would bicycle over and help them; and they were all delighted at the idea.
Fibo was very pleased when he heard of this, and promised to provide tea after it. And on Saturday, Miss Fletcher arrived with some pretty warm material already cut out to be made into frocks. The three little girls set to work bravely and cheerfully, but Dreamikins was the first to get tired.
"My fingers is hurting. My thimble has made a mark—it's too tight. My back aches, and now my leg is hurting. I believe sewing is very bad for it."
Then Miss Fletcher produced a storybook, and began to read to them. That made the time pass quicker. They worked for one hour and a half, and Dreamikins was proud of what she had done in the time.
"I'm glad you didn't let me stop," she said to Miss Fletcher. "And Er is very glad too; he wanted me to go on. We've really been working clothes for Jesus Christ, haven't we? He says He'll count it as if it was His!"
Then they had tea in the dining-room, because the weather had turned cold; and Fibo joined them and sat in his big chair at the head of the table, and cracked jokes, and made every one feel happy and comfortable.
Miss Fletcher had to hurry home; she said she had an invalid sister waiting for her. But the little girls stayed on. Freda and Daffy never wanted to go; and then Fibo let them come into his study, and he made funny sketches of an old man called Tumbledown who was never steady on his feet, and at last one day he climbed into an aeroplane because he wanted to go across the world without using his feet, and was never heard of any more.
"I hope you won't go away like that one day," said Dreamikins.
Her uncle looked at her with his funny twinkle.