"It's so exciting having a new uncle!" she said to Miss Forster. "I keep wondering all the time about him!"
That afternoon Miss Forster took them out for a walk, and Mrs. Garland asked them to take some soup to a bed-ridden old woman.
To Harebell's great delight, the woman proved to be the one living in the cottage by the old oak-tree. She eagerly asked if she might take the soup in, and Miss Forster agreed, sending Nan in with her, whilst she and Peter waited outside. The young woman opened the door and smiled at Harebell, as she recognised her at once. She Was very grateful for the soup.
Then a sudden impulse took possession of Harebell. She asked Nan to take the soup upstairs to the old woman.
"I want to talk to Miss Crake," she said importantly.
Nan meekly stumped up the wooden stairs to the old woman's bedroom.
Fanny Crake looked a little surprised when Harebell sidled up mysteriously to her.
"I do want to talk to you! I want you to be Tom Triggs' wife, will you? He wants one badly, and he'll give up his beer, and come and live in this cottage with you, if you say 'yes.' He's so ill—poor Tom! He broke his leg—and he's in hospital. He told me he mended your gate, so I hope you'll marry him. I'm very fond of Tom, but Aunt Diana won't let me talk to him any more, so it will be difficult, but if you go and see him in hospital, you can settle it up with him. Will you?"
Fanny began to laugh.
"What a funny little lady you are! We don't do things in that sort of way, and Tom is not a good match for any respectable girl! He's much too fond of his glass."