d been in the habit of doing without pocket-money at all
it seemed as though unbounded wealth were theirs, and they could never
know want again.

Penelope carried a basket of provisions, which Lydia, with unusual care,
had insisted on their taking. Penelope consented because she did not like
to refuse Lydia's last request, but neither it nor its contents held the
slightest interest for them until quite a long stretch of their journey
had been covered. They were too unhappy to feel hungry. They would never
care for food again, or for any one or anything but Framley and their
mother and Lydia; and while they were in this frame of mind two or three
hours and many miles passed by.

But the lapse of time brought some relief and a lightening of their
depression. They became able to take a growing interest in their
surroundings, and a sensation of hunger began to assert itself; so did a
savoury odour from Lydia's basket, an odour so delicious that, in spite of
themselves, they became interested.

"I wonder what Lydia put in here," said Penelope, looking down at the
despised basket for the first time. "Something smells rather nice."
They had left home before nine, and the meal they ate before starting was
hardly worthy the name, and as it was now past twelve they began to feel
very empty and rather faint, and the savoury whiffs which floated out from
the basket grew more and more appealing.

Poppy slipped from her seat at last and pressed her small nose close to
the cover. "I believe it's patties, and gooseberries, and--and--"

Lydia had her faults as to temper, but there was no denying she could cook
when she chose to, and her meat patties were the joy of the children's
hearts on the rare occasions when she could find time to make them.

Without more delay the basket was unpacked, and Poppy's sense of smell was
amply justified. Four meat patties, some hard-boiled eggs and slices of
bread and butter, cakes, biscuits, milk, gooseberries, and apples, made a
lunch fit for four queens. And the children fairly squealed with delight
as they unrolled packet after packet.

"We will have a table," cried Esther, springing up and spreading a
newspaper on the seat for a tablecloth, "and lay everything out on it.
I only hope no one else will want to come into this carriage."

It was not very easy to keep on their feet with the train swaying and
jerking them as it did, but it made it all the more amusing, and when all
was spr