the muddle somehow," said Rupert, slapping her on the back, with a
harsh laugh that had a weird sound; it was so far removed from
merriment.

But Nealie only shook her head, as much as to say that it was quite
beyond her power to do anything in the way of bucking up just then, and
they were all three staring at each other in dismayed silence, when
there came a rush of feet outside, and the door was flung open by Don,
who was followed by Sylvia and Ducky, while Billykins, still snorting
heavily, brought up the rear.

"Billykins told us how brave Rumple had been in saving the life of that
fat old woman----" began Sylvia, then stopped suddenly, scared by the
look on the faces of the three; then she asked in a hushed tone: "Oh,
whatever can be the matter! Is Rumple very badly hurt?"

"I am not hurt at all, except in my feelings," replied Rumple, who was
nursing his old jacket, as if it were a troublesome infant which he had
to put to sleep.

"Was she horrid to you? And after you had saved her life, fourteen stone
of it?" demanded Sylvia, with a stormy note in her tone.

"It is not the woman at all," here Rumple waved the old jacket with a
tragic air. "The fault lies with me, and you had all better know about
it at once, and if you decide to disown me for the future, I can't
complain, for I deserve to be sent to Coventry for evermore."

"Oh, drop your figures of speech, and tell us in plain English what the
trouble is all about!" exclaimed Sylvia impatiently. "Nealie looks as
if she had seen a ghost, and Rupert is glum, so out with it, Rumple, old
boy, and own up like a man."

"I have owned up," he answered gloomily, and again he waved the old
jacket to and fro, then hugged it closely in his arms again. "When I
changed my clothes I thought that I would put this jacket on, though it
is rather tight across the back, and I always hate wearing it for that
reason. I have not put it on since the day we all went down to the
Paddock to ask Mr. Runciman to send us to Australia. We stopped eating
cakes in the housekeeper's room, you remember, and then when he had
written the letter he sent it to us to put in the post as we came home.
It was given to me. I put it in my pocket, and here it is!"

Sylvia gasped as if a whole bucket of water had suddenly been shot over
her from some unexpected quarter, and then she burst into a ringing
laugh, and clapped her hands. "Oh, what a joke! Then I suppose that
Father has not a notion tha