"Mind you say a stale loaf, miss; and a knife!" called Jane, turning round, to see only the tip of one of Minnie's curls flying down the stairs.
Then all was sober work for another half-hour, and after that came a pause.
"This floor looks black; it wants doing, I think," remarked Minnie.
Jane laughed.
"Don't you think it does, Jane?" said Minnie soberly. "Look there, and there; but it's all over."
"I shouldn't wonder," said Jane.
"Then do you mean to do it?" asked Minnie.
For answer Jane went down on her knees and began to scrub, while Agnes led the way into the box-room, the children following to see what she was going to do.
She drew out the roll of carpet which Hugh had fixed his eyes on the day before, and they carried it to the landing and spread it open under the skylight.
Agnes selected what she wanted for her purpose, and told Alice to roll the other up again. Then she produced from her pocket a skein of thread and two large needles, and handing one to Alice, she proceeded to thread her own.