mour of rooks. Here
they met an old lady in a wheel-chair, pushed by a page-boy--such a
sweet sad-faced old lady was the occupant of the chair, with shining
grey curls peeping out from beneath her black satin hood. She was
wrapped in some sort of fur-lined cloak; and by her side walked two
little dark-faced, shy-looking girls of seven, quaintly dressed in rich
black velvet, very like two wee maidens stepped out of some old
picture, and each wearing a hood similar to that worn by their aged
companion.

[Illustration: "A DONKEY AND CART CAME DRIVING UP."]

"This is Madame Giche--spelt G-i-c-h-e--and her two grand-nieces; a
queer party, all of them," said Oscar, still leading on. "This isn't her
place: she can't live at her own place, they say, all about some trouble
she's had; and so she took the Owl's Nest of Sir Hubert Larch, who never
lives there, on lease."

"Are we intruding here?" inquired Inna.

"Oh, no; there is a right of way: that is, madame gives it, and people
take it. Come on."

He had the grace to raise his hat to the party as they passed them by,
and anon they were out of the park, and on a well-worn road. Here the
sound of wheels greeted them, and a donkey and cart came driving
up--Dick Gregory charioteer, and a girl of about Inna's age seated in
the bed of the cart behind him.

"Why, little friend," cried the boy, recognising Inna, "this is a happy
meeting!" and down he sprang, and seized her hand with a boyish grip.

"How d'ye do, Willett?" this to Oscar, who returned the salutation.

"Now you must be introduced to Trapper. Here, Trapper," said Dick,
turning to the donkey-cart.

"Don't be silly, Dick," cried the pretty little maiden. "You know I'm
not Trapper: at least, only to you, who call me Gin and then Trap and
Trapper. My name is Jenny;" and down she sprang to Inna's side.

"And I am Inna."

"Yes; Dick has told me your name."

"And how is your kitten?" Inna liked the pretty, free, fair-haired,
fair-faced girl.

"Oh, first-rate, thank you, isn't she, Dick?" said she, appealing to her
brother, who was just settling with Oscar.

"Oh yes! We'll just manage a morning of it in the woods; you can show
your cousin Black Hole another time. Isn't what?" he questioned of his
sister.

"Isn't Snowdrop first-rate?"

"Rather," returned he, with a nod at Inna, which made her blush and
laugh.

"I'm glad she's well. And so you call her Snowdrop?"

"Yes; and what do you think of our donkey? W