"C

hesterton is stuck on the ceiling." said Betsy when I reached her. More inquiry revealed that in fact he was stuck on a cross beam - we had left the ceiling unfinished to give the green-house a pleasing rustic appearance.

I asked her what had become of Daniel, the handy man she sometimes employed to do odd jobs.

"I'm afraid he will fall and hurt himself" was her response - Daniel was in his 60s, I would guess. But I was already feeling impatient with her, and now especially so since she seemed to have decided I was a kind of volunteer under-handyman. Furthermore, I suspected that this was another ruse to spend time with me, and so I retorted: "I see - but it is perfectly acceptable if I should fall and injure myself."

She looked at me as though I had struck her. "Oliver - how could you say that? Your well-being is more precious to me than..." but she could not continue or the flood gates would have opened.

"I have things to do, Betsy." I said. "You'll have to find aid elsewhere."

And then the floodgates burst, but she turned and ran down the lane so as I should not see her cry. I watched her go a moment and then relented. I did not wish to see Chesterton in peril, and besides, what could it hurt to spend just a little more time in Betsy's company? Soon enough I would be too absorbed in my new marriage to have time for her. And so I ran after her. When I caught up she whirled and looked at me in surprise and I offered her my handkerchief. The sunshine broke over the flood plains then.

"Oh Oliver - I thought you hated me." said she. To which I replied "Now Betsy, you need not always be so dramatic."

As we walked to her house, she explained that Chesterton had lept from a shelf full of plants up into the rafters and got himself wedged into a tight spot from which he could neither jump, nor even could he turn around without risking a fall. And so he stayed where he was and meowed piteously for help. It took some time and effort, but eventually I had Chesterton back in his mum's arms.

"Oliver, you are too too wonderful." was her predictably effusive response.

(To be continued...)