"Well, I stewed some dried apricots once," said Wade, "and they weren't half bad. I suppose you're going to be busy all the morning, aren't you?" he asked, forlornly.
"I'm afraid so."
"Indeed you're not," said Miss Mullett, decisively. "You're going to stop as soon as we get this kettleful off. I can do the rest much better without you, dear."
"Did you ever hear such ingratitude?" laughed Eve. "Here I've been hard at work since goodness only knows what hour of the morning, and now I'm informed that my services are valueless! I shall stay and help just to spite you, Carrie."
"I wanted you to take a walk," said Wade, boldly. "It's a great morning, too fine to be spent indoors."
"Is it?" Eve looked up at the fleecy sky critically. "Don't you think it looks like rain?"
"Not a bit," he answered, stoutly. "We're in for a long drought. Zephania told me so not half an hour ago."
"Is Zephania a weather prophet?"
"She's everything. She knows so much that she makes me ashamed of myself. And she never makes a mistake about the weather."
Wade waited anxiously.