t his family are on the way to make him
happy?"

"That is about it, and whatever we can do to get out of the muddle is
more than I can imagine," said Rupert in a strained tone, while his face
looked pinched and worn from the burden of worry that had suddenly
descended upon him.

"Do?" cried Sylvia. "Why, of course we shall just do as we are doing,
and go straight forward, until we reach Hammerville, when we will walk
in upon dear Father some fine evening, and announce our own arrival.
Nothing could be simpler, and we shall give him the surprise of his
life, bless his heart! There is no need to look so tragic that I can
see."

"But we must tell the captain, and there will be a great fuss. He will
very likely keep us on board ship until Father can reach Sydney to claim
us," said Nealie in a voice of distress.

"We won't tell the captain; he is as meddlesome as an old woman!" cried
Sylvia, who very much resented the commander's kindly meant endeavours
to take care of them.

"He would not let us go ashore at Cape Town, and I did so want to go to
the top of Table Mountain, and see for myself what the tablecloth was
made of," said Don in an aggrieved tone. His ideas of distance were
rather vague, and he had an impression that half an hour's brisk walking
from the docks at Cape Town would have landed him on the top of the
mountain.

"No, we won't tell the captain, we certainly won't," put in Billykins,
with a mutinous look on his chubby face. He had had his own views on the
way in which he had meant to spend the time ashore, and having one
shilling and threepence in his pocket, to spend as he chose, had laid
out a pretty full programme for the occasion.

"We won't tell the captain; I don't like him, because he calls me Goosey
instead of Ducky," pouted the youngest of the family, who had had her
feelings very much hurt on more than one occasion, and was simply
thirsting for revenge upon the disturber of her peace.

"Do you hear? The majority have decided on silence," said Sylvia
triumphantly, as she sat down by the side of Nealie, and slipped her arm
round her sister's waist.

"Oh, I don't know what to do, and it was dreadful of Rumple to forget!"
cried Nealie, and at the reproach in her words Rumple fairly doubled up,
muttering, in a resigned fashion:

"Lay it on, and spare not. There is one comfort about the beastly
business, you cannot blame me more than I blame myself."

"It might have been worse," said Sylvi