big with wonder and he whistled his liveliest,
to keep up with the wild antics he could see in the outer room.

Nobody heard a knock upon the door, repeated until patience ceased,
and then it softly opened. A full moment the visitor waited there,
gazing upon this orgy of motion; then with an ultra flourish of her
skirts Winifred faced about and beheld--the Lady Principal!

CHAPTER V

THE FRIGHT OF MILLIKINS-PILLIKINS

For another moment there was utter silence in the cottage. Even the
Dame's calmness forsook her, the absurd performance of her bald-headed
husband making her ashamed of him. She had seen the Lady Principal
passing along the road beyond the lane but had never met her so
closely, and she felt that the mistress of Oak Knowe was high above
common mortals.

However, as the flush died out of Miss Tross-Kingdon's face Mrs.
Gilpin's ordinary manner returned and she advanced in welcome.

"You do us proud, madam, by this call. Pray come in and be seated."

"Yes, yes, do!" cried John, interrupting. "I'll just step-an'-fetch
the arm-chair out o' Robin's room. 'Twas carried there for his mother
to rest in. She--"

The mortified old fellow was vainly trying to put back the smock he
had so recklessly discarded and without which he never felt fully
dressed. He hated a coat and wore one only on Sundays, at church. But
his frantic efforts to don this garment but added to his own
discomfiture, for he slipped it on backwards, the buttons behind,
grimacing fiercely at his failure to fasten them.

One glance toward him set all the young folks laughing, he looked so
comical, and even the dignified caller was forced to smile.

"Don't see what's so terrible funny as to send ye all into a
tee-hee's-nest! but if so be _you_ do, why giggle away and get shut of
it!" testily cried the poor old man. To have been caught "making a
fool of himself" was a "bitter pill" for him to swallow; having always
prided himself upon his correct deportment.

It was, as usual, the portly Dame who came to his relief, reminding:

"There, husband, that will do."

Then she quietly drew the smock over his head and slipped it back in
proper guise. With this upon him his composure returned, and he
apologized to Miss Tross-Kingdon as any gentleman might have done.

"Sorry to have kep' you standing so long, lady, but I'll
step-an'-fetch--"

However he was spared that necessity. Dorothy had heard and
understood that the best chair in th