, made her give up the immediate attempt to pity
herself. After all, people who went away to America to lecture could
not leave their children to break their legs by themselves for ever; and
meanwhile, there was home-made cake and strawberry jam under the cedar
tree.

It was in the middle of tea, just as Robin, with a wavering hand, was
conveying a second cup to Babs, that the wonderful event happened. Jill
had the best view of the house from where she sat at the tea-table, and
her sudden exclamation interrupted the jeers of the others over Robin's
strenuous performance.

'Such a funny-looking man is coming up the drive!' she remarked. 'He's
wearing the very oddest kind of clothes, too--a sort of Inverness cape,
and a squashy brown hat. And do look at the way he is walking, with his
arms swinging about--just like Peter, when he's in a hurry.'

'He must be a tramp,' said Angela, giggling.

Everybody looked round, except Barbara, who made a plaintive request, that
nobody heard, for her couch to be wheeled into a different position.

Then Auntie Anna gave a little shriek, and dropped her pince-nez into her
lap.

'Bless my soul!' she cried, fumbling for them in an agitated manner. 'Why,
it looks exactly like--I do believe--look, Jill! Your eyes are younger
than----'

The boys were sharper than Jill, though, and they settled the question
at once in their own riotous fashion. Barbara's second cup of tea fell
with a crash and a splash, before she could reach out her hand for it,
and her two brothers rushed shouting and screaming across the lawn. In
another instant they had disappeared in the folds of the Inverness cape;
and Angela Wilkins realised with a shock that she had called Barbara
Berkeley's father a tramp!

* * * * *

'Well, Everard, and what have you to say for yourself?' demanded Auntie
Anna, in a severe tone, as soon as she could make herself heard. For quite
ten minutes, every one had been talking at once.

'What have I to say?' repeated Mr. Berkeley, with his eyes twinkling.
'Why, plum-cake, to be sure! You haven't offered me any tea yet.'

His sons nearly wrecked the tea-table in their efforts to be first in
supplying his wants; and Auntie Anna gave up the attempt to be firm.

'Well, well,' she said, shaking her head, 'you always were incorrigible,
Everard! But what about the end of your lecturing tour?'

'There won't be any end, as far as I'm concerned,