at's
that?"

Mrs. Grahame uttered a slight cry, and rose hastily to her feet.

"I--I don't know," she said. "I thought--I surely did see a face looking
in at the window. Hark!"

They listened, and heard a rustling in the great linden-tree outside.
Then something gleamed white at the window,--a face, beyond all doubt.

"Ferguson!" said Gerald. "If I don't give it to him for startling you,
Mrs. Grahame; he shall be flayed, I assure you! Set your mind at rest
on that point! Flayed an inch at a time!"

"May I come in?" asked Phil's voice, as he swayed back and forth on the
linden branch.

"'Begging for a dole of crumbs,
Little Robin Redbreast comes!'"

"Quick!" said Hildegarde, as she threw up the window once more. "When
will you boys learn to move and act like reasonable mortals? How are
you, Phil? I am delighted to see you!"

Phil wriggled his length swiftly into the room, and closed the sash with
a single quick movement. Then, after shaking hands warmly with his two
friends, he fixed a withering glance on his brother.

"How about that box?" he asked.

"Now may Julius Caesar promote you to a captaincy in the Skidmore
Guards!" replied Gerald, with great sweetness. "I clean forgot the box,
sweet chuck! And I just threatening to flay you! Didst open it with
thine own fairy paws, beloved?"

"I didst, beloved! And I intend to do the same by thy head, at a
convenient season. He promised to be back in ten minutes," Phil added,
turning to Mrs. Grahame, "to open a box for the Mater. I was putting up
bookcases the while. It's frightful, the way books multiply in our
family. I've put them up all along all the up-stairs passages now, and
it gives us a little breathing-space, but not enough."

"That is a good idea!" said Mrs. Grahame. "We must remember that, Hilda;
though, indeed, there is still plenty of space in these rooms."

"I wish there were in ours," said Phil. "The disadvantage of the passage
bookcase is, that the whole family stops and reads as it goes along, and
we seldom get anywhere. Which reminds me! I'm afraid I must go back,
Mrs. Grahame, and take this wretched object with me. It is nearly ten
o'clock, and my Obadiah should have been tucked up in his little nest
some time ago."

"Your Obadiah will inquire into the condition of _your_ little nest
before he sleeps!" said Gerald, threateningly.

"But remember that the Mater said the next time we scrapped a bedstead
to pieces, we mus