d Duke
was astonished she could speak so quietly.

"No," replied Biddy, "and then I _was_ at fault, for sure I gathered up
the things quickly, and never noticed there was but one bowl. And they
must have been both there, for you both had your breakfast. The only
thing I can think of is that some one took it out of the room after you
were downstairs, master and missy," for it never occurred to Biddy to
think Duke or Pamela would have concealed it had they broken the bowl,
"but I'm afeared Cook will lay it all on me."

"Do you fink they cost much--bowls like these?" asked Pamela.

"Not so very much perhaps, but I don't think I've ever seen any quite
like them in any shop. Besides, if even I could get to Sandle'ham to
see, it's a thing I daren't do. It's one of your Grandmamma's strictest
rules that if anything's broke we're to tell. And I'm sure if I had
broke it I would tell."

"Perhaps Cook won't say anything more about it," said Duke, but Biddy
shook her head.

"Not to-day perhaps. She's busy to-day, for two ladies and two gentlemen
are coming to dinner. But she'll be very angry with me when she comes to
send up your bread and milk to-morrow morning if so be as the bowl isn't
there."

"Are there only two like that?" asked Pamela.

"Your Grandmamma has some others, I think, but they're kept locked up in
a cupboard in the china closet," said Biddy dolefully. "I'd tell my
mistress myself in a minute if I had broke it, but the worst is, it will
seem as if I have broke it and won't tell, and that will make her very
vexed with me. But you must make haste to go out into the garden, master
and missy. It's such a fine day, and if you stayed here it might wake
Nurse. She's just fallen asleep, and the doctor said she might be better
to-morrow if she got some sleep."

"Out in the garden" to-day it was lovely, for though only April it was
unusually bright and warm. And the garden of Arbitt Lodge matched the
house. It was so quaint and neat, and yet such a very delightful garden
to play in, full of queer little unexpected paths between high stiff
hedges that quite hid such small people as "us," leading to tiny bits of
lawn, where one was sure to find, if not a summer-house, at least a
rustic bench in a nice corner beside some old tree whose foliage made a
pleasant shade. Duke and Pamela had given names of their own to some of
the seats and arbours, as they found this a great convenience for their
games, especially that of