“Well, I can’t go back now to change it,” said Loveday decidedly. “I _must_ use this one. One knife isn’t very much, and they are meant to cut things with; we shan’t hurt it--besides, Bessie has got more like it.”
“Oh, well, do as you please,” said Aaron crossly; “only there’ll be a fine row if it’s spoilt. Knives”--with that superior, knowing air of his which always nettled Loveday--“costs a brave bit of money.”
“Of course I know that,” she snapped irritably. “I didn’t think they grew. Well, I’ll use the scissors, and you can use your hands; unless you brought something yourself to cut with.”
But by this time they had reached the walled-in garden, and in their excitement to see if anything had happened they forgot their crossness. Along the path they ran till they reached the bed, then stood still and looked at each other with wide eyes. The bed was covered again with straw--fresh, new straw--and over it and across it in all directions was fine cord, stretched to pegs which had been stuck firmly in the ground.
The two felt quite frightened! Whoever had done it had spared no trouble in making all secure this time, but had carried out their work deliberately and beautifully. The children felt perfectly helpless.
“It is just to _spite_ us,” whispered Loveday furiously.
But Aaron did not speak; he was really puzzled and alarmed. Thoughts were working so fast in his brain, too, that he could not catch one and put it into words. Loveday grew annoyed and half frightened by his silence.
“What do you think it is? Who do you think did it? Aaron, speak! Are you frightened? Do you think it is something that will hurt us?”
But in answer to all her eager questions, Aaron only said at last:
Loveday was really rather alarmed, but to find Aaron even more so, and without a word to encourage her, made her very cross again.
“_I_ don’t like the looks of all that cord,” she said, “and I’m going to cut it all, just to let them see that _I_ am not afraid of them. _I_ am not a coward.”
Poor Aaron! It was a little hard on him, for he really had begun to feel a horrible dread that it might not, after all, have been piskies’ mischief that they were undoing, but some real person’s careful work, and he was just beginning to say so when they heard quick footsteps coming along the path towards them, and, looking up, saw an elderly, grey-haired man with a very white and angry face and a pair of eyes with a look in them which filled Loveday’s little heart with alarm.