children (none of whom, however, was quite so dear to
her as their mother), and listened to their adventures.

On those evenings on which he came to "The Gables" Mr. Lenox always
looked in on her for a little gossip; and this was called his "runcible
spoon"--the joke being that Mr. Lenox and Runcie were engaged to be
married.

And now you know the Avory family root and branch.

CHAPTER 2

THE SOUND OF MYSTERIOUS WHEELS

One day in late June the Avories and the Rotherams and Horace Campbell
were sitting at tea under the cedar talking about a great tragedy that
had befallen. For Mrs. Avory had just heard that Mrs. Dudeney--their
regular landlady at Sea View, in the Isle of Wight, where they had
lodgings every summer for years and years, and where they were all
ready to go next month as usual--Mrs. Avory had just heard that Mrs.
Dudeney had been taken very ill, and no other rooms were to be had.

Here was a blow! For the Rotherams always went to Sea View too, and had
a tent on the little strip of beach under the wood adjoining the
Avories', and they did everything together. And now it was very likely
that the Avories would not get lodgings at all, and certainly would not
get any half so good as Mrs. Dudeney's, where their ways were known,
and their bathing dresses were always dried at once in case they wanted
to go in again, and so on.

They were all discussing this together, and saying what a shame it was,
when suddenly the unfamiliar sound of the opening of the old stableyard
gates was heard, and then heavy wheels scrunched in and men's voices
called out directions, such as, "Steady, Joe!" "A little bit to the
near side, Bill!" and so forth.

Now, since the stable yard had not been used for years, it was no
wonder that the whole party was, so to speak, on tiptoe, longing to run
and investigate. But Mrs. Avory had always objected very strongly to
inquisitiveness, and so they stayed where they were and waited
expectantly. And then, after a minute or so, Kink came up to the table
with a twinkle in his old eye and a letter in his old hand.

"Didn't we hear the sound of a carriage?" Mrs. Avory asked.

"Did you, mum?" said old Kink, who was a great tease.

"I'm sure there were wheels," said Mrs. Avory.

Kink said nothing.

"Of course there were wheels," said Robert. "Don't be such an old
humbug."

But Kink only twinkled.

"It's only coals," said Gregory; "isn't it?"

"The first I've heard of coals`" s