ess bird against her rounded chin and pressed her lips upon it.

Suddenly Piers said:

"What is wrong about Melville; there's something fresh, for I heard my
mother talking about it before I was up."

"He says he won't come here and take care of the farm. He wants to
travel."

"Well, I don't blame him for that," said Piers.

"But his debts have hampered father dreadfully I know, and he does so
detest his fine gentleman airs. It seems to me," said Joyce, vehemently,
"to be ashamed of a father like ours is--Oh! I have no word bad enough,
and Melville _is_ ashamed, and he does not like mother looking after the
dairy and the butter."

"Well," said Piers, tapping his crutch upon the ground, "I think mother
does fidget and worry too much in the house and about the place; but it
is her way, and no one could alter it."

"I don't know that I wish to alter it," Joyce said, hotly. "Mother has
done so much for us, and I hate to think she is slighted by her
children. Melville _does_ slight her, and when he talks in that
drawling, affected voice, and ties his starched cravats twenty times,
and flings them down again if the bow is crooked. I despise _him_, and
that is the truth."

Piers shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, we must go back to breakfast," he said; "I am hungry, and it must
be nearly eight o'clock."

The brother and sister walked slowly towards the house, and as they
crossed the lawn, from which the sun had kissed away all the dewdrops, a
bell over the stables rang, and a little alert figure appeared in the
porch.

"Joyce, Joyce! What are you dawdling for? It is past eight o'clock.
Getting your feet drenched with the dew, I'll warrant. No, don't bring
any dead birds here, Piers; I won't have it. The house is just like a
pigsty with all your rubbish. Take it round to the back kitchen. I have
a pretty hard morning's work before me, and you must lend a hand, Joyce,
I can tell you."

"Father said I was to go with him to Wells, mother, and do your
shopping."

"Well, that won't be till eleven o'clock. There's time enough first to
help me to give out the stores and get the linen aired for the boys'
room and the spare bedroom, and you forget, I suppose, that your
brothers are coming home for the holidays on Friday, and this is
Wednesday. I shall be all behindhand, if I don't look out. I wish
Melville's fine gentleman visitor farther!"

Mrs. Falconer spoke rapidly, and in rather a high key. Her accent was
decidedly