k of surprise, and fell prone against the
wall. There stood the long table, set out with flowers and silver, and,
in the centre seat, sat a handsome frock-coated figure, with every dish
and plate of edibles massed around him in a solid circle of temptation.
The silver cake-basket was in the centre, plates of scones, macaroons,
and biscuits bordered each side; while the interstices were filled in
with bowls containing jam and fruit. On his own plate there were piled
at one and the same moment, a meringue, a slice of plum cake, two
biscuits, and a jam tart, and, in default of tea, he had filled his cup
from the cream jug, and was even at this moment wiping the tell-tale
drops from his moustache.

"That blessed boy!" cried Mrs Asplin, clasping her hands in delight.
"There never was any one like him. He guessed how I should feel--he
always _did_ guess! I might have known that he would come. But how?
When? Where? He was not in the carriage with the girls."

"Got out at the gate, mater, and came in at the window. Wanted to get a
start of you all at tea," said Arthur, coming forward, serviette in
hand, to receive the kiss and hug of welcome which he was never too old
to enjoy. He had divined that Peggy's advent would make the gap in the
household even more felt than usual, and his kindly instinct had been to
fill that gap as much as possible; but no other reason would he
acknowledge for his presence than the necessity of escorting two
frivolous young women who could not be trusted to take a journey on
their own account, and his hosts were too full of delight at his
appearance to dispute the point.

"Second fiddle!" sighed Peggy with a shrug. "It's meself that's second
fiddle this moment, when 'twas the whole orchestra I expected to be.
Take me away, somebody, before I break down altogether, and show me some
of the old haunts until tea is ready."

"Peggy, don't be absurd!" Esther said solemnly; but Peggy marched
determinedly out of the room, and, with the exception of Mr and Mrs
Asplin and Arthur, every one followed and stood looking on while she
pushed open the swing door of the cloak-room, and poked her little head
round the corner.

"Where's my peg?" she cried. "If I find any other wretched creature's
clothes hanging on my peg, I'll--" then she stopped suddenly, darted
forward with a squeal of delight, and closed the door behind her. She
was not hidden more than a minute, but in effect it seemed to have bee