"Rubbish," said Joscelyn. "Our master is due, and yesterday you overslept yourself and were troublesome. Go to your tree this instant."
"I shall go when I choose," said Martin.
"Maids! maids! maids!"
"This instant!" said Joscelyn, and dipped her handkerchief in the pannikin.
Martin crawled into the tree.
"Is a dog got into the orchard, maids?" said Old Gillman, looking through the hedge.
"What an idea, master," said Joscelyn.
"I thought I seed one wagging his tail in the grass."
The girls burst out laughing; they laughed till the apples shook, and Old Gillman laughed too, because laughter is catching. And then he stopped laughing and said, "Is an echo got into the orchard?"
And the startled girls laughed louder than ever, and they grew red in the face, and tears stood in their eyes, and Joscelyn had to go and lean against the russet tree, where she stood frowning like a stepmother.