back. It's just jolly having her."

Nevertheless, they disappeared suddenly during the afternoon, and did
not return until about an hour before dinner, when they both wore the
half sheepish, half triumphant expression that Barbara knew of old
meant some escapade successfully carried through. Knowing they would
probably tell her what it was, she went on arranging the flowers on the
dinner-table while they fidgeted round the room.

"I say," Donald said at last, "I really think Uncle Morton is one of
the nicest elderly men I've met for some time, perhaps ever."

"Yes," Frances agreed; "I think so too. He'll be quite an exquisition
as an uncle. But we didn't go to the station," she hastened to add, as
Barbara turned round to listen. "Donald wanted to go up to the inn
this afternoon--at least we both did--to see Mr. Bates about the rabbit
he promised us, and we were talking to him quite comfortably when a
gentleman came and stood at the door looking into the passage."

"'That's an American gentleman as has come to-day with his nephew,' Mr.
Bates remarked, and, of course, we knew it must be Uncle Morton, and we
thought since we _were_ there it would be rather unkind to go away
without ever giving him a welcoming word. Mr. Bates thought so too
when we asked his opinion, so we just went and introduced ourselves,
and told him we were glad to see him, and so on. We saw the nephew
too."

"Yes," Donald went on, without giving Barbara a chance to speak, "and
as he seemed very glad to see us, and said it was kind of us to look in
on him, of course we stayed a little longer. He's an interesting man."

"I'm glad you like him," Barbara said, bubbling over with laughter.
"I'm sure it must be a relief to him."

"Yes," Donald nodded, "and to the nephew too. I think we'll be quite
good friends with him. You see, Barbara," he went on, fearing lest she
should feel disapproval about their visit, "it really was better for
them not to have to face us _all_ in a mass. Now they've got _us_
over--they've only to get mother's approval."

But this remark was altogether too much for Barbara's gravity, and she
drove her brother and sister off to make themselves presentable.

But when their visitors had gone that evening and she was talking in
her mother's room, she told the story of the afternoon again, and they
laughed over it together.

"Conceited little creatures," Mrs. Britton said. "But my judgment
coincides with theirs, Ba