"Mr. Cole's a splendid fellow," Eric said. "We had such a jolly talk together at tea; he told me about his work in London, and how he caught typhoid fever, and nearly died. That was why he came into the country. The doctors told him if he didn't he'd never pick up. He says he thinks he's pretty well as strong as he ever was now, and I asked him if he meant to go back to London, but he said no, that God had sent him here, and there was plenty of work for him to do here. Do you know, when he first came to Crumleigh the boys of the village used to spend their spare time in loitering about the street, playing pitch and toss, and using bad language? It was a long time before they would have anything to do with him, always shirked out of his way when they saw him coming, and so on; but by-and-by they found out he meant them well, and now they're quite friendly with him."
"And what about the cricket club?" Joy asked, much interested.
"Oh, the Vicar started that, of course! The members are a queer set," Eric said, with a hearty laugh; "they talk the broadest dialect; but I think I shall get on with them—all except a great fellow called Sam Dart, who scowled at me every time he caught my eye; I'm not sure about him. He's the roughest of the lot, and the Vicar had several times to stop his swearing—I imagine he used bad language more from habit than any other reason. He appeared to look on me as an interloper."
"We have had visitors during your absence," Joy told her brother, presently, "Mr. Tillotson and Lulu. They came to invite Celia and me to spend a week or so with them."
"But you're not going?" Eric cried, reproachfully; "you wouldn't go while I'm at the Moat House?"
"No, I told mother I didn't want to go—Lulu talked of asking us some time ago, at least she spoke of asking Celia, and I guessed Mr. Tillotson would invite me too—so she made an excuse for me, said you and I generally spent most of the time together in the holidays. But Celia's going."
"Is she, though?" Eric exclaimed. "That's not very flattering to me, is it? But I don't mind," he acknowledged, candidly.
"She is to go the week after next," Joy explained "and she's to have several new frocks. Uncle Jasper said mother was to take her to T— to-morrow, and get her some pretty clothes. Celia is delighted."
"I dare say. She's as vain as a peacock!"
"I don't think mother wants her to go and stay with the Tillotsons, but Uncle Jasper wishes it. Do you know, I fancy Celia must have told him beforehand that we were going to have the invitation, for he said at once that if I did not care to go that was no reason why Celia should be done out of a pleasure, and he had no doubt Lulu would be satisfied with one visitor."