A DAY OF PLAY 
149 
ing about after these butterflies. Before long, they 
gave up the game and began chasing each other. 
Mr. Percy and I walked about a little, and at 
length sat down on the seat overlooking the rose 
fan. When Mr. Percy is away, I think of much 
that I wish to say to him, of questions that I have 
to ask, and interesting things to relate ; but, when 
he is here, they all seem to go very quickly out of 
my head. Although the roses were before us, each 
one blooming or showing swollen buds, I could re- 
member nothing to say about them. I even forgot 
to ask why the Soleil d’Or rose, which I love so 
much, had always a few crinkled leaves in its centre, 
as if an insect had eaten it. I did not ask him why 
he supposed Joseph had wished to play ball with the 
great oriental poppies. 
After a while he asked me if I ever felt lonely at 
the Six Spruces with only Little Joseph as a play- 
fellow. I answered, “No, because I am always too 
busy to feel lonely.” Then we sat still for a long 
time without saying a single word. 
A little red squirrel came to the edge of the wood- 
border and nibbled at something he held in his paw. 
A robin hopped along in front of us with a fat 
fledgling by its side. Joseph fell down while chas- 
ing Queenie, and she promptly sat on him ; the two 
chippies, pursued by the scolding starling, crossed 
the lawn while Mr. Percy and I sat watching. 
Almost anything might have happened without my 
thinking of a ’word to say. At length he took a 
