"Oh, not anywhere near me!" cried Bella; "I don't like bees."
"P'raps you'll like the honey. The man says he had pounds and pounds of honey last year. Come on, Bella. Come and help me choose a spot."
Bella went, but not very joyfully, and Tom followed. "You won't expect me to help you look after them, will you?" she asked nervously, "for I tell you I am afraid of them."
"Oh no," said Charlie seriously; "and when the honey is ready for market, I'll walk behind the cart with it, for fear it should sting you."
Bella laughed. "Tom," she called back, "can you paint a sign-board? I'm sure we ought to have one over the gate to say 'Fruit, flowers, vegetables, honey, eggs, fowls, porkers, and dried herbs sold here.'"
The idea pleased the boys immensely. "Can't we sell anything else?" cried Charlie. "Do try and think of something."
"Perhaps Aunt Emma will sell cakes and apple-pasties, and provide tea and coffee for twopence a cup."
"And a penny more to watch Charlie's bees," laughed Bella. "Oh, here comes Margery. Perhaps she has come to say she has bought a cow! Wouldn't it be fun!"
Charlie burst into a peal of laughter. "Hullo, Margery!" he shouted; "what have you got? A cow?"
Margery stood still in the path and stared at him, her blue eyes full of puzzled surprise.