ustace managed to blurt out.

"Very nearly, but not quite," was the reply; "my escape was like a
miracle. Ah, here comes Bob at last."

"Have I seemed an awful time?" said Bob gently. "It was a difficult
thing to do. Come--they are waiting for you."

The pair passed swiftly up the conservatory into the drawing-room.

Herbert was standing by the mantelpiece examining a piece of
valuable Sevres china. As the stranger, accompanied by that white
figure, crossed the room to the boudoir, the ornament fell with a
crash, to be splintered into twenty pieces on the fender.

"Oh, what was that?" cried Brenda, starting to her feet and gazing
after the apparition.

"It's Aunt Dorothy," said Eustace from the conservatory. "She was
never drowned at all."

"What!" said Herbert sharply. "You are dreaming."

"Then we are all dreaming," said Eustace gravely. "You saw her for
yourself."

It would be impossible to describe the scene that followed. When
the boudoir door opened and the grown-ups all trooped out, headed
by Aunt Dorothy, the commotion was beyond words. From the midst of
it Mr. Chase slipped away, to return with Peter in his arms. Peter
was in pyjamas and dressing-gown, rosy, and fresh roused from
sleep.

"We can't let him be out of it all," said Mr. Chase. "I have told
him of our joyful surprise, and he takes it quite calmly."

"Peter would," said Miss Chase, taking the wee fellow in her arms.

"I'm very glad I didn't drown you," Peter said serenely.
"Herbert--"

But he finished the sentence in an incoherent yell, kicking out
right and left.

"What is the matter?" asked Dorothy in surprise.

"Eustace pinched my bare leg," Peter said irately, wriggling to the
ground in order to avenge himself.

Eustace caught his wrists, and bending low, whispered,--

"You are not to tell tales. I told you that the other day. You
don't want to be a low-down black-fellow, do you?"

Peter's face was crumpled with anger, and there is no saying what
he would have done if Bob had not exclaimed,--

"Hulloa, Peter! haven't you a word for me?"

The shock was complete. Mr. Chase had not mentioned Bob's arrival,
and Peter was wholly unprepared for seeing him.

"Bob!" he shouted, "good old Bob!" and sprang like a young cat at
the big fellow, who caught him skilfully.

"When you have quite done throttling me I shall be glad," said Bob,
after enduring the embrace of the merciless little arms a moment.

"But how did you get here