s appeared in answer to the summons: "My dear, if you
and the others will go into the housekeeper's room for a little
refreshment I will get the letter written, and you shall have it to take
with you; then I will write to London about your passage to-night."

"Oh, you are a dear, a most kind dear!" burst out Sylvia, flinging her
arms round his neck and kissing him on the cheek--a liberty she had
never in her life ventured upon before, and which considerably shocked
Nealie, who was afraid it would make him angry, and was agreeably
surprised to find that he only seemed to be startled by it.

Then they all trooped off to the housekeeper's room, where they made a
tremendous onslaught upon a big and very plummy cake; and they were
still drinking cups of steaming cocoa when Roberts appeared again, this
time bringing a letter on a silver salver, which he handed to Nealie
with a grave bow, saying that Mr. Runciman wished her to read it and
then to post it, and he would ride over to Beechleigh on the day after
to-morrow to tell them what arrangements he had been able to make for
their journey.

"It is jolly decent of him!" muttered Rupert, who had looked over
Nealie's shoulder while she read the letter.

"Oh, he is not half bad at the bottom, I should say!" remarked Rumple,
who was wondering if Mr. Runciman would feel flattered if he were to
make a short poem about this most gracious concession to their wishes.
The worst of it was that Mr. Runciman did not exactly lend himself to
poetry, that is, he was by no means an inspiring subject.

The housekeeper looked on in smiling amusement at their frank criticism
of the master of the house; but she was a kindly soul, and it was only
human to feel sorry for these poor young people, whom no one seemed to
want, now that old Miss Webber was dead. There had been a good deal of
wondering comment in the servants' hall and the housekeeper's room at
The Paddock as to what would be done with the family. Everyone was
quite sure that Mrs. Runciman would never consent to receive them, even
temporarily, and it was because of her refusal to in any way recognize
their claim upon her kindness that they had been left for Mrs. Puffin to
look after since the death of their great-aunt.

When they could eat no more cake they bade a cordial goodbye to the
housekeeper, shook hands all round with the dignified Roberts, and then
trooped off in the highest spirits, talking eagerly of the voyage and
the w