long name," I added.

"'Audrey' is a very pretty name," said the young lady, still stroking my
hair, "and Gower--that is not a very common name. Are you perhaps
relations of Dr. Gower, of ---- Street?"

"That's Uncle Geoff," cried the boys and I.

"He is my husband's brother," said mother.

The young lady quite brightened up.

"Oh, how curious!" she said. "Dr. Gower was _so_ kind to my mother," and
again her pretty eyes filled with tears and her lips quivered.

Racey, staring at her, saw that something was the matter, though he had
not the least idea what. He came close up to her, stumbling over his
skirt and long apron on the way, and tugged her sleeve to catch her
attention.

"Don't cry," he said abruptly. "We're going to live with Uncle Geoff.
Perhaps he'd let you come too."

The young lady could not help smiling.

"Are they really going to live in London?" she said to mother. "Perhaps
I shall see you again then some day. I know 'Uncle Geoff's' house very
well."

But before there was time to say any more the other lady came back from
her inspection, and began asking so many things about the house that the
young lady's attention was quite taken up. And soon after they went
away. Afterwards I remember mother said she was sorry she had not asked
the young lady's name. But we among ourselves fixed to call her "Miss
Goldy-hair."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER III.

THREE LITTLE TRAVELLERS.

"What will she do for their laughter and plays,
Chattering nonsense, and sweet saucy ways?"

I will now try to go straight on with my story. But I cannot help saying
I do not find it quite so easy as I thought. It is so very difficult to
keep things in order and not to put in bits that have no business to
come for ever so much longer. I think after this I shall always be even
more obliged than I have been to people that write stories, for really
when you come to do it, it isn't nearly so easy as you'd think, though
to _read_ the stories, it seems as if everything in them came just of
itself without the least trouble.

I told you that after it was really settled and known, and all arranged
about the goings away, things seemed to go on very fast. In one way
they did and in one way they didn't--for now when I look back to it, it
seems to me that that bit of time--the time when it was all quite
settled to _be_ and yet hadn't come--was very long. I hear big people
say that children get quickl