The Fire
IN a few days' time, Edmund had settled down very happily with his cousins. He was out of doors a great deal. Bates took him fishing, and Raikes, the gamekeeper, let him go with him through the woods. Freda and Daffy were almost envious, he was allowed to do so many things that were refused to them. And then they were all invited to spend the afternoon with Dreamikins, and they went through the park, and crawled through the little door, for Nurse let the three of them go alone.
There was no doubt about it that Nurse had a soft spot in her heart for boys. She seemed to think that Edmund was steady and good; but when Nurse was away from him he behaved rather differently. Dreamikins and he were soon the greatest friends, though they disagreed upon nearly every point that was discussed; but Dreamikins always got her way in the end.
Edmund started playing hockey upon the lawn at the Dower House. Fibo lent them some walking-sticks and a tennis ball, and cheered them on from the window of his study, where he lay on his couch watching them. And after tea they roasted chestnuts on the bars of the study fire, and Fibo told them funny stories. When Edmund walked home he said:
"Captain Arnold is just ripping! I wish I lived with him instead of you!"
"You must call him Fibo like we do," said Freda; "and that's rather a rude thing to say to us."
"But I agree with him," said Daffy quickly; "I would much rather live with Fibo than with Nurse. Fibo wants us to be happy and have fun—we can see it in his eyes."
"I mean to have my fireworks soon," said Edmund, very firmly. "Nurse keeps putting off the day, but I shall have them without asking her. Look here! When we go to bed to-night, and Nurse goes down to supper, you come out in the long passage between my room and yours, and I'll let off a cracker. It will be such fun!"
Daffy danced with excitement, and Freda said:
"All right, we will! I wish Dreamikins was with us!"