little ashamed of his
outburst of the evening before. Looked at by light of day it seemed
unnecessary waste of temper. He thought Bob would not have thought
much of him for it; it was rather babyish.

Oh, how homesick he felt! What wouldn't he have given to have seen
Bob walking down one of those wide paths towards them. Good old
Bob! Poor old Bob! What would Brenda and Herbert think if they only
knew all that story? It was enough to keep the boy silent to have
such thoughts as these starting up in his memory again and again;
enough to make him ashamed of any pettiness. But the thought of
Bob alone had power to do that; he was so big, so splendid, such a
man!

Coming out of the gardens into the park they met nurse and Becky.

"Oh," said nurse, looking flushed and flustered, "isn't Master
Peter with you? I can't find him anywhere. I just left him while I
went to dress Miss Becky, and never thought to tell him to wait for
me."

"Peter isn't used to staying in one room," said Eustace quietly. "I
guess he is looking for us."

"But it is very naughty of him," said the English nurse in
vexation.

"Peter wouldn't mean to be naughty," said Eustace in the same quiet
tone; "but you see we are so used to be all together all day long
on the veranda."

"That's all very fine," said nurse, "but it doesn't find him for
me. I just hope he won't come to some harm or do some mischief
before I get him."

"Could he come to any harm?" asked Nesta anxiously.

"Well, there are ponds he could fall into, and places he could
climb and tumble out of. And as to mischief--there are things
everywhere he could handle and break," said the woman. "I never saw
such an inquisitive little fidget as he is. He is all the time
asking questions and wanting to touch everything he sees."

There immediately began a hunt for Peter. Here, there, and
everywhere they went in pairs, but nowhere could he be found. They
called him, but there was no answer; they asked every one they
met, but no one had seen him.

Mrs. Chase was out driving with Mr. and Mrs. Orban; there seemed no
one to appeal to.

The search reminded Eustace of the story of the loss of Aunt
Dorothy, and he went and looked in the turret and the secret
chamber through the cupboard door; but Peter was not there.

Nurse was becoming frantic, for of course she felt responsible for
her charge. Eustace and Nesta began to be worried. Herbert was
cross because this prevented his rabbit-shooti