ght as he sat
opposite his nurse and ate his hot mutton and rice pudding at the
nursery table.

'I 'specs the House is very busy to-day,' he remarked with a knowing
little nod of his head. 'Which is Master Mortimer's room, Nurse?'

'Master Mortimer, indeed! Who's been talking to you of him I'd like to
know! You must be a good boy and stay quiet in the nursery. I've
never seen your grandmother so upset. She's proper excited, and won't
go out for her drive this afternoon, and I'm helping Jane get out all
the old bits of furniture that used to belong in his room before ever
he went abroad. 'Twas his only sending a telegram yesterday so sudden
like, and no letter nor nothing to prepare us, that has taken us so
aback. He's to have his old room, the one at end of the passage. It's
going to rain, so you'd best stay in the nursery this afternoon, and I
shall be busy.'

Bobby promised to be good, but with the sounds of such an unusual
bustle in the house what small boy could resist peeping through the
green baize door occasionally to see what was going on? And at last,
thinking the coast quite clear, he made one of his rapid rushes along
the corridor and into the room that was being prepared for the guest.
Here he gazed round him with innocent admiration. The room was barely
furnished, but a fox's brush and some sporting-prints round the walls,
one of which depicted a cock fight, interested him greatly. He was
standing on tiptoe at the dressing-table opening some little china
pots, when approaching footsteps made him start. Then, as the door
handle turned, he scrambled under the bed and lay still, hardly daring
to breathe. It was his grandmother with Jane. She was speaking in
rather an agitated voice.

'He slept in this room many years ago, Jane, and I wish things to be as
he left them. Yes, even this cricket bat that I have just found in the
attic. He used to have it in the corner by the fireplace, and I wish
you to place it there now.'

She came up to the bed, smoothed the pillow with her hand, looked at
the pictures on the walls, sighed, then went away, and Jane followed
her. Bobby crept out of his hiding-place feeling very guilty. Then he
eyed the cricket bat, lifted it, but found it very heavy.

'He won't be able to play with it if he hasn't a ball!' he said to
himself. 'Perhaps he'll come and ask me for mine!'

Very reluctantly he left the room and returned to the nursery, quite
unconscious that