The rest were playing at cricket. Jem joined them, and was the merriest and most active amongst them; till at last, when quite out of breath with running, he was obliged to give up to rest himself, and sat down upon the stile, close to the gate on which Lazy Lawrence was swinging.
"And why don't you play, Lawrence?" said he.
"I'm tired," said Lawrence.
"Tired of what?"
"I don't know well what tires me; grandmother says I'm ill, and I must take something—I don't know what ails me."
"Oh, puh! Take a good race, one, two, three, and away, and you'll find yourself as well as ever. Come, run—one, two, three, and away."
"Ah, no, I can't run indeed," said he, hanging back heavily; "you know I can play all day long if I like it, so I don't mind play as you do, who have only one hour for it."
"So much the worse for you. Come now, I'm quite fresh again; will you have one game at ball? Do."
"No, I tell you, I can't; I am tired as if I had been working all day long as hard as a horse."
"Ten times more," said Jem; "for I have been working all day long as hard as a horse, and yet you see I'm not a bit tired; only a little out of breath just now."