V + 

тАЬI think itтАЩs rotten,тАЭ said Joe. + 

She and Vernon were in the garden together. + 

тАЬWhatтАЩs rotten?тАЭ + 

тАЬThose people.тАЭ + 

тАЬDo you mean the Levinnes?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes. Why should everyone be so horrid about them?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell,тАЭ said Vernon, trying to be strictly impartial, тАЬthey did look queer, you know.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, I think people are beasts.тАЭ + 

Vernon was silent. Joe, a rebel by force of circumstances, was always putting a new point of view before him. + 

тАЬThat boy,тАЭ continued Joe. тАЬI dare say heтАЩs awfully jolly, even though his ears do stick out.тАЭ + 

тАЬI wonder,тАЭ said Vernon. тАЬIt would be jolly to have someone else. Kate says theyтАЩre making a swimming pool at Deerfields.тАЭ + 

тАЬThey must be frightfully, frightfully rich,тАЭ said Joe. + 

Riches meant little to Vernon. He had never thought about them. + 

The Levinnes were the great topic of conversation for some time. The improvements they were making at Deerfields! The workmen they had had down from London! + 

Mrs.┬аVereker brought Nell to tea one day. As soon as she was in the garden with the children, she imparted news of fascinating importance. + 

тАЬTheyтАЩve got a motor car.тАЭ + 

тАЬA motor car?тАЭ + 

Motor cars were almost unheard of then. One had never been seen in the Forest. Storms of envy shook Vernon. A motor car! + 

тАЬA motor car and a swimming pool,тАЭ he murmured. + 

It was too much. + 

тАЬItтАЩs not a swimming pool,тАЭ said Nell. тАЬItтАЩs a sunk garden.тАЭ + 

тАЬKate says itтАЩs a swimming pool.тАЭ + 

тАЬOur gardener says itтАЩs a sunk garden.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat is a sunk garden?тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know,тАЭ confessed Nell. тАЬBut it is one.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt believe it,тАЭ said Joe. тАЬWhoтАЩd want a silly sort of thing like that when they could have a swimming pool?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, thatтАЩs what our gardener says.тАЭ + 

тАЬI know,тАЭ said Joe. A wicked look came into her eyes. тАЬLetтАЩs go and see.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat?тАЭ + 

тАЬLetтАЩs go and see for ourselves.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! but we couldnтАЩt,тАЭ said Nell. + 

тАЬWhy not? We can creep up through the woods.тАЭ + 

тАЬJolly good idea,тАЭ said Vernon. тАЬLetтАЩs.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt want to,тАЭ said Nell. тАЬMother wouldnтАЩt like it, I know.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, donтАЩt be a spoilsport, Nell. Come on.тАЭ + 

тАЬMother wouldnтАЩt like it,тАЭ repeated Nell. + 

тАЬAll right. Wait here, then. We wonтАЩt be long.тАЭ + 

Tears gathered slowly in NellтАЩs eyes. She hated being left. She stood there sullenly, twisting her frock between her fingers. + 

тАЬWe wonтАЩt be long,тАЭ Vernon repeated. + 

He and Joe ran off. Nell felt she couldnтАЩt bear it. + 

тАЬVernon!тАЭ + 

тАЬYes?тАЭ + 

тАЬWait for me. IтАЩm coming too.тАЭ + 

She felt heroic as she made the announcement. Joe and Vernon did not seem particularly impressed by it. They waited with obvious impatience for her to come up with them. + 

тАЬNow then,тАЭ said Vernon, тАЬIтАЩm leader. Everyone to do as I say.тАЭ + 

They climbed over the Park palings and reached the shelter of the trees. Speaking in whispers under their breath they flitted through the undergrowth, drawing nearer and nearer towards the house. Now it rose before them, some way ahead to the right. + 

тАЬWeтАЩll have to get farther still and keep a bit more uphill.тАЭ + 

They followed him obediently. And then suddenly a voice broke on their ears, speaking from a little behind them to the left. + 

тАЬYouтАЩre trethpassing,тАЭ it said. + 

They turnedтБатАФstartled. The yellow-faced boy with the large ears stood there. He had his hands in his pockets, and was surveying them superciliously. + 

тАЬYouтАЩre trethpassing,тАЭ he said again. + 

There was something in his manner that awoke immediate antagonism. Instead of saying, as he had meant to say, тАЬIтАЩm sorry,тАЭ Vernon said, тАЬOh!тАЭ + 

He and the other boy looked at each otherтБатАФthe cool measuring glance of two adversaries in a duel. + 

тАЬWe come from next door,тАЭ said Joe. + 

тАЬDo you?тАЭ said the boy. тАЬWell, youтАЩd better go back there. My father and mother donтАЩt want you in here.тАЭ + 

He managed to be unbearably offensive as he said this. Vernon, unpleasantly conscious of being in the wrong, flushed angrily. + 

тАЬYou might manage to speak politely,тАЭ he said. + 

тАЬWhy should I?тАЭ said the boy. + 

He turned as a footstep sounded coming through the undergrowth. + 

тАЬIs that you, Sam?тАЭ he said. тАЬJust turn these trespassing kids off the place, will you?тАЭ + 

The keeper, who had stepped out beside him, grinned and touched his forehead. The boy strolled away, as though he had lost all interest. The keeper turned to the children and put on a ferocious scowl. + 

тАЬOut of it, you young varmints! IтАЩll turn the dogs loose on you unless youтАЩre out of here in double quick time.тАЭ + 

тАЬWeтАЩre not afraid of dogs,тАЭ said Vernon haughtily, as he turned to depart. + 

тАЬHo, youтАЩre not, hтАЩarenтАЩt you? Well, then, IтАЩve got a rhinoHoceras here and IтАЩm a-going to loose that this minute.тАЭ + 

He stalked off. Nell gave a terrified pull at VernonтАЩs arm. + 

тАЬHeтАЩs gone to get it,тАЭ she cried. тАЬOh! hurryтБатАФhurry!тАЭ + 

Her alarm was contagious. So much had been retailed about the Levinnes that the keeperтАЩs threat seemed a perfectly likely one to the children. With one accord they ran for home. They plunged in a beeline, pushing their way through the undergrowth. Vernon and Joe led. A piteous cry arose from Nell. + 

тАЬVernonтБатАФVernon! Oh! do wait. IтАЩve got stuck.тАЭ + 

What a nuisance Nell was! She couldnтАЩt run or do anything. He turned back, gave her frock a vigorous pull to free it from the brambles with which it was entangled (a good deal to the frockтАЩs detriment), and hauled her to her feet. + 

тАЬCome on, do.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm so out of breath. I canтАЩt run any more. Oh! Vernon, IтАЩm so frightened.тАЭ + 

тАЬCome on.тАЭ + 

Hand in hand he pulled her along. They reached the Park palings, scrambled over.тБатАКтБатАж + 