ur arms round my neck and hold tight, and we
will soon get home, and you shall rest a little; and then we will have
tea, and all the rest of the day shall be one of the beautifullest you
ever had. We will play games, 'Hot and Cold,' 'Pepper, Salt, and
Mustard,' and all the ones you like best, and we will have a lovely time,
won't we?"

Poppy nodded the weary little head resting on her sister's shoulder.
"Yes," she agreed gladly, comforted greatly by Esther's tone.
Esther herself did not feel at all inclined for games or jollity, or
anything of the sort, but the mere pretending helped her. Penelope and
Angela strolled on ahead, linked arm in arm. Guard trotted along slowly
between the two couples, as though determined to be prepared for any more
attacks, and so they reached home again at last, and thankfully they made
their way to their comfortable bedrooms to prepare for the next event of
that exciting day.

"I do hope," said Esther, as she slowly mounted the stairs, "that we don't
have another angry word with any one all the rest of the day. It seems to
have been nothing but quarrelling, so far."

"Laugh before breakfast, cry before night," murmured Poppy in a very weary
voice; but when Esther had given her a nice warm bath, and tucked her away
in her little bed for a rest, her spirits had recovered. "She didn't say
'keep on crying,' did she, Essie? So perhaps I have cried enough, and
it's all over. Oh my! what lovely things Anna must be cooking," sniffing
in the savoury odours which were finding their way from the kitchen.
"I wonder what they are. _I_ am going to have some of _everything_,
because it's my birthday," and then the little heroine of the day dropped
off into a dreamless sleep, while Esther turned over their scanty stock of
clothing to try to find something worthy of the occasion.

When Poppy awoke the scent of hot jams and spicy cakes, and all sorts of
other good things, was stronger than ever, reminding her, the moment she
opened her eyes, what day it was, and what was before her. She jumped up
in bed with a start. "Oh, I haven't slept too long, have I? Esther, is
it very late? Do help me to dress quick!"

"It is all right," said Esther, in a calm, reassuring tone. "I am ready,
and now I can attend to you. It is only four o'clock. There is plenty of
time. I wouldn't have let you sleep too long, dear."

"But supposing you had slept too, and we had all slept!" Poppy's eyes
grew very