“A maid!” echoed Mrs. Hartwell-Jones, as if she had been given a new thought. “A maid—and no home!” She turned to grandmother. “Why would I not be the better one to carry out your plan, Mrs. Baker?”
Just then Letty drove up and stopped again. Mrs. Hartwell-Jones began to ask her questions about the ponies; whether they were afraid of trains, motor cars, or things like that.
“No, ma’am, they are very gentle,” replied Letty earnestly, overcoming her awe of the “author-lady” in her anxiety to do justice to the ponies. “They have so much sense and intelligence, from being taught things that they always listen to reason.”
Mrs. Hartwell-Jones smiled kindly.
“Their intelligence certainly has been cultivated,” she agreed, “but are they practical? I mean, will they be content to go jogging peacefully about country roads with a quiet old lady? They might miss the spangle and sawdust of the circus, you know. Or if they heard a band play, they might stand up on their hind legs, carriage and all, and begin to waltz.”
Jane and Christopher shouted with laughter at that suggestion. Even Letty laughed, and then reddened with embarrassment.
“I don’t believe they would do that,” she answered politely.
“If they’re anything like Letty, they’ll be glad to get away from the circus,” added Christopher. “Isn’t Letty funny, not to like the circus? I should think it would be bully—specially with such jolly little beasts as Punch and Judy to show off.”
“Those are the ponies’ names, you know,” put in Jane. “They are twins, grandmother, twin brother and sister, the same as Kit and me.”
It was grandmother’s and Mrs. Hartwell-Jones’s turn to laugh now. Then there were a great many more questions to be asked about the ponies, and everybody was so interested and excited that they forgot all about dinner—even Christopher—until Huldah came out the second time to say everything would be spoiled. Christopher was sent to the stable to fetch Jo Perkins to look after the ponies and grandmother invited Letty to stay for dinner.