arried, and
lives a mile away--but he lends her to me sometimes, and I am sure he
will this Easter if I ask him. I must take you to see Geoffrey and
Rosamond, and my wee niece Margot. She's only five months old, and I
haven't seen her since she was in long clothes. Then there are my
cousins at the Rectory; I know they'll simply fall in love with you. Oh,
I'm absolutely longing to introduce you to everybody and everything!"

Aldred's father readily gave his consent to the proposed visit, so April
fifteenth saw the two girls starting off together for the holidays. Miss
Bardsley took them up to town, and placed them safely in the train at
King's Cross; and they would have no further change until they reached
Helmsworth, the junction for Grassingford.

They were in a very exultant and hilarious frame of mind, literally
bubbling over with excitement. They managed to restrain themselves while
they were under Miss Bardsley's eye, but directly the train started, and
she had waved a final farewell from the platform, they allowed their
wild spirits to have free play, and laughed to their hearts' content,
waltzed between the seats, gave three cheers for the breaking-up, and
chattered like a pair of magpies. Fortunately, they had the compartment
to themselves, or they could not have indulged in such enjoyable
frivolities except at the risk of being taken for lunatics.

"I managed to buy a box of chocolates and a bag of pears," announced
Aldred, triumphantly producing a parcel. "Miss Bardsley said there
wasn't time, but I got the newspaper boy to run to the refreshment room
while she bought our tickets."

"She's given us about ten thousand last directions! Can you remember any
of them?" said Mabel.

"Never a one!" laughed Aldred. "The engine was snorting so loudly, I
couldn't hear a single word."

"And I could only catch a word here and there. I have a general
impression that we aren't to hang out of the window, or speak to
strangers, and that we must call the guard if anyone disagreeable gets
into the carriage."

"Well, we had all that before, from Miss Drummond!"

"And not to lose our tickets!"

"As if we should! I always keep mine in this inner pocket; it was made
in my coat on purpose. I'm much more likely to lose my temper with so
many instructions--we might be babies, five years old! I wonder Miss
Bardsley did not tie a luggage label to each of us, marked, 'Perishable
Goods, at Owner's Risk'!"

"Yes, or 'Live Stoc