"Four miles is a long way, isn't it, Theo?"
"Oh, no! At least it's a good walk, of course; but we shall be able to have a nice rest when we get to the Hermit's Cave, before returning home. I've planned everything. If we start early in the afternoon, we shall be home long before dark."
"Are you sure?"
"Oh, yes; quite sure!" Theodore returned in a sanguine tone. "If Seth Stanley takes an hour and a half to walk there, we shall do it easily in about two hours, have a good while at the Cave, and walk home quietly after tea. We'll tell Mrs. Fry we're going to have a picnic to ourselves, and get her to give us some cake to put in our pockets. But we shall have to wait for an opportunity of going, when the others are out of the way."
"I heard father tell mother he wanted to drive her to Dartmeet the first fine afternoon," Jack said, entering into his stepbrother's plan, though with some doubts in his mind as to its being quite right; "we might go then. But how about Jane? If mother's away, she'll be sure to want to keep us near her."
"Oh, we'll manage old Jane!" Theodore cried lightheartedly, delighted to find Jack was not going to raise any objections. "You leave her to me."
Whilst they were at breakfast that morning, Mr. Barton spoke of the proposed drive to Dartmeet, saying that Mr. Fry had kindly volunteered to lend Boxer and the gig for the occasion.
"So if the weather remains fine, as I believe it will, we'll go to-morrow, Mary," he said to his wife. "You and I will have a quiet picnic by ourselves."
"That will be very nice," Mrs. Barton replied, smiling. Then her eyes met Theodore's, fixed upon her with a look of eager anxiety which she failed to understand, but fancied that perhaps he was disappointed at the idea of having to remain at home; and her kind heart prompted her to turn to her husband and ask, "How about the boys?"
"Oh, they will be all right, Mary!" he answered promptly. "They can't come to any harm here."