And so he ran away home, fed Lightfoot, stroked him, went to bed, jumped up at five o'clock in the morning, and went singing to work, as gay as a lark.
Four days he worked "every day and all day long," and the lady, every evening, when she came out to walk in her gardens, looked at his work.
At last she said to her gardener, "This little boy works very hard."
"Never had so good a little boy about the grounds," said the gardener; "he's always at his work, let me come by when I will, and he has got twice as much done as another would do; yes, twice as much, ma'am; for look here—he began at this here rose-bush, and now he's got to where you stand, ma'am; and here is the day's work that t'other boy, and he's three years older too, did to-day—I say measure Jem's fairly, and it's twice as much, I'm sure."
"Well," said the lady to her gardener, "show me how much is a fair good day's work for a boy of his age."
"Come at six o'clock, and go at six? About this much, ma'am," said the gardener, marking off a piece of the border with his spade.
"Then, little boy," said the lady, "so much shall be your task every day; the gardener will mark it off for you; and, when you've done, the rest of the day you may do what you please."
Jem was extremely glad of this; and the next day he had finished his task by four o'clock; so he had all the rest of the evening to himself.
Jem was as fond of play as any little boy could be, and when he was at it, played with all the eagerness and gaiety imaginable; so, as soon as he had finished his task, fed Lightfoot, and put by the six-pence he had earned that day, he ran to the play-ground in the village, where he found a party of boys playing, and among them Lazy Lawrence, who indeed was not playing, but lounging upon a gate with his thumb in his mouth.