en Brigslade market-day on purpose, she counted on Farmer Carson to
give her a lift home? She was not strong enough to carry them--one at a
time--more than a short distance. Besides she had her big basket.
Glancing at it gave her another idea.

"I can at least give you something to eat," she said. "Niece Turwall
packed all manner of good things in here," and, after some rummaging,
out she brought two slices of home-made cake and a bottle of currant
wine, of which she gave them each a little in a cup without a handle
which Mrs. Turwall had thoughtfully put in. The cake and the wine
revived the children wonderfully. They said they were able to walk "a
long long way," and indeed there was nothing for it but to try, and so
the happy little party set off.

The thought of Tim, however, weighed on their minds, and when Barbara
had arrived at some sort of idea as to who he was, and what he had done,
she too felt even more anxious about him. Even without prejudice it must
be allowed that the police of those days were not what they are now, and
Barbara knew that for a poor waif like Tim it would not be easy to
obtain a fair hearing.

"And he won't be wanting to get that gipsy girl into trouble by telling
on the lot of them, which will make it harder for the poor lad," thought
the shrewd old woman, for the children had told her all about Diana.
"But there's nothing to be done that I can see except to get the General
to write to the police at Monkhaven." For Mrs. Twiss knew that Duke and
Pam would be terribly against the idea of going back to the town and to
the police office. And she herself had no wish to do so--she was not
without some distrust of the officers of the law herself, and it would,
too, have grieved her sadly not to have been the one to restore the lost
children to their friends. Besides, Farmer Carson would be waiting for
her at the cross roads, for "if by any chance I don't come back before,
you may be sure I'll be there on Friday, next market-day," she had said
to him at parting.

"You don't think they'll put Tim in prison, do you?" asked Duke, seeing
that the old woman's face grew grave when she had heard all.

"Oh no, surely, not so bad as that," she replied. "And even if we went
back I don't know that it would do much good."

"Go back to where the policemans are," exclaimed the twins, growing pale
at the very idea. "Oh please--_please_ don't," and they both crept
closer to their old friend.

"But if it