I got out of bed and looked at him.

“After breakfast?” I queried.

My brother-in-law nodded.

“I think so.  We’ll settle the premises as we go.”

* * * * *

As we were approaching The Lawn, I looked at my watch.  It was just a quarter to ten.

The little door in the wall was still unbolted, and a very little expenditure of energy sufficed to admit my brother-in-law, Nobby, and myself into the garden.

So far as the Sealyham was concerned, ’the Wilderness was Paradise enow.’  Tail up, he plunged into the welter of grass, leaping and wallowing and panting with surprise and delight at a playground which surpassed his wildest dreams.  For a moment we watched him amusedly.  Then we pushed the door to and started to saunter towards the house.

It was a glorious day, right at the end of August.  Out of a flawless sky the sun blazed, broiling and merciless.  There was nowhere a breath of wind, and in the sheltered garden—­always a sun-trap—­the heat was stifling.

As we drew near, the sound of voices, raised in bitterness, fell upon our ears, and we rounded the corner of the building to find Vandy waist-high in the grass about the sundial, shaking a sickle at his sisters, who were seated upon carriage cushions, which had been laid upon the flags, and demanding furiously “how the devil they expected him to reap with a sweeping motion when the god-forsaken lawn was full of molehills.”

“Quite right,” said Berry.  “It can’t be done.”

Emma and May screamed, and Vandy jumped as if he had been shot.  Then, with a snarl, he turned to face us, crouching a little, like a beast at bay.  Before he could utter a word, Berry was off.

Advancing with an air of engaging frankness, which would have beguiled the most hardened cynic, he let loose upon our cousin a voluminous flood of chatter, which drowned his protests ere they were mouthed, overwhelmed his inquiries ere they were launched, and finally swept him off his feet into the whirlpool of uncertainty, fear and bewilderment before he knew where he was.

We had only just heard of his purchase, were delighted to think we were to be neighbours, had had no idea he was contemplating a move, had always said what a jolly little nook it was, never could understand why it had been in the market so long, thought we might find him here taking a look round, wanted to see him, so decided to kill two birds with one stone....  What about the jolly old book?  Had it come back from the binders?  We couldn’t find ours, thought it must be in Town....  The girls were devilling the life out of him to look it up.  Was it William or Nicholas?  He thought it was William.  Hadn’t Vandy said it was William?  What was the blinking use, any old way?  And what a day I He’d got a bet with Jonah that the thermometer touched ninety-seven before noon.  What did Vandy think?  And what on earth was he doing with the pruning-hook?  And/or ploughshare on his left front?  Oh, a scythe.  Of course.  Wouldn’t he put it down?  It made him tired to look at it.  And was he reclaiming the lawn?  Or only looking for a tennis-ball?  Of course, what he really wanted was a cutter-and-binder, a steam-roller, and a gang of convicts....