"Oh, he will have it cold to-morrow, and I will set it out for him before I start."
"That is very kind, Mrs. Grimstone, thank you very much. It would be just the thing."
Accordingly, at ten minutes past twelve on the following day the two boys arrived breathless at No. 8 Laburnum Villas.
"Hurrah!" George shouted, "there is Mrs. Grimstone at the window."
The door was opened and they rushed in.
"It's a tidy little place," Mrs. Grimstone said; "and it's in good order and won't want any money laying out upon it."
The house was certainly small, but the boys were delighted with it. On the ground-floor were two little rooms opening with folding doors, and a little kitchen built out behind. There was a room over this, and two rooms above the sitting rooms.
"That's just the right number," George said, "a bedroom each for us; it couldn't be nicer; and what pretty paper!"
"And there is a good long slip of garden behind," Mrs. Grimstone said, "where you could grow lots of vegetables. Of course in the front you would have flowers."
"And how much do they want for it?"