Very fine, too, was the nursery on a sunny morning--the fire crackling, the roses on the brown carpet as lively as though they were real, and the whole place glittering, glowing with size and cleanliness and vigour.

In the air was the crackling smell of toast and bacon, in a glass dish was strawberry jam, through the half-open window came all the fun of the Square--the sparrows, the carts, the motor-cars, the bells, and horses....

Oh, a fine morning was fine indeed! Ernest Henry, deep in the business of conveying securely his bread and milk from the bowl--a beautiful bowl with red robins all round the outside of it--to his mouth, laughed at the three beasts.

Let them show themselves here in the sunlight, and they'd see what they'd get.

Let them only dare! He surveyed, with pleased anticipation, the probable progress of his day.