he
children trooped in after their interview with Larkin.

Dinner was spread in the dining-room as usual. The children sighed for
the times when their mother had been with them, and had had such a
delightful habit of having that meal served in all sorts of unexpected
places, even on days when they could not go for an orthodox picnic.
Behind the waratahs one day--and of course they imagined themselves
waited on by a row of stiff and magnificent footmen in red plush. Among
the wattles another time, and the wattles just in bloom. Once in the
vegetable garden with big leaves for plates, and the tomatoes that made
the first course bending heavily on the trellis behind their seats, and
the purple guavas that made the last hiding among their leaves just the
other side of the path.

It would have required an earthquake to dislodge Miss Bibby from the
stronghold of the dining-room table.

She sat at the head of that table now, a thin delicately-coloured woman
not far from forty, with a nervous mouth and anxious blue eyes. Possibly
she had been quite pretty in youth, if ever peace and the quiet mind had
been hers. But the unrest and worry of her look left rather a disturbed
impression on the beholder.

She sat at the head of the table and carved a leg of mutton, and saw
Anna putting vegetables upon the children's plates under silent protest.

She did not believe in meat. She did not believe in vegetables. She did
not believe in puddings. Pauline had drawn her into confessing this at
the first meal she had had with them, and the shock was so great that
Muffie had actually burst into tears, and Max had clambered down from
his chair with the half-formed intention of setting out at once for New
Zealand, and dragging his mother back to her proper place.

Miss Bibby, however, set their minds at rest. She had no intention of
interfering with the food they were accustomed to; only she begged to be
excused from partaking of such herself.

No meat, no vegetables, no pudding, and still alive! The children took
an abnormal interest in watching her preparations for eating at each
meal.

She began each day, they found out, with a pint of hot water. Indeed
they found it out to their sorrow, for she had Mrs. Lomax's entire
permission to work upon themselves one or two of her hygienic
reforms--if she could only manage it.

So at seven o'clock, when in various stages of their morning toilet,
they were confronted by Miss Bibby, armed wit