"Good girl. Prove yourself. There's a tree. Show us a climb."
It was a branchless tree, with scarce a knob on its straight trunk, and with nothing to hold on by, but Sophy tackled it unhesitatingly, and was a dozen feet above our heads in a twinkling. There she perched, peering over the wall into the grounds of Tylney House. Presently she scrambled down, and nudging Bob, said,
"Will that do?"
"You've got the heart of a lion," said Bob, admiringly. "I've no fears for you. Can you read?"
"No."
"Write?"
"No."
"Tell the time?"
"Oh, I can do that."
"That's a blessing. Here's a silver watch. A stem-winder. When we get back to Nutford I'll show you how to wind it up. What's the time now?"