164 More Tales of the Birds 



" He had only a sovereign, which seemed to 

 puzzle him. First he put it back again, and was 

 beginning to tell me to ' come over to his place 

 and I should have half-a-crown.' 



" ' But it's far/ he said, ' and I'm off to London 

 to-night. I can trust you, can't I ? ' he added, 

 turning a pair of very pleasant blue eyes on me. 

 ' Whom do you work for ? ' 



"'Miss Pringle at Cotteswell,' I answered, 

 touching my hat. 



" ' Very well,' he said ; ' you take the sovereign 

 and get it changed, and I'll send my groom over 

 for the change to-morrow.' 



" I thought he might have sent the groom over 

 with the half-crown ; but I fancy he liked trusting 

 me, and thought he might forget to send the 

 groom, as in fact he did. 



"He was off before I could get any words out ; 

 so home I went, thinking I should like to be his 

 groom, such a pleasant way he had about him. 

 On my way I passed the village shop, where I 

 got the change, which I put safely away in a 

 drawer with my ties and collars. Miss Pringle 

 had not come back, nor did she come till the 



