rong,
sturdy fellow like that. No, no, I don't want to whip him, I assure you.
But I'm glad to see Geoff's got such a good little sister, and that
she's so fond of him. He's not a bad brother to you, I hope? You
couldn't be so fond of him if he were."

"Oh no; Geoff's not naughty to me, scarcely _never_," said Vicky,
eagerly. "I'm sure he never wants to be naughty. It's just that he's got
some bad habits, of teasing and grumbling, and he can't get out of
them," she went on, with a little air of wisdom that was very funny.

"Exactly," said Uncle Hoot-Toot, nodding his head. "Well, don't you
think it would be a very good thing if we could help him to get out of
them?"

Vicky looked up doubtfully again.

"If I think of some plan--something that may really do him good, you'll
trust your poor old uncle, won't you, my little Vic?"

She gave him a long steady stare.

"Yes," she said at last. Then with a sigh, "I would like Geoff to get
out of his tiresome ways."

And from this time Great-Uncle Hoot-Toot and Vicky were fast friends.

Then he asked Elsa and Frances to go out a little walk with him.

"Is your mother always as pale as I have seen her?" he said abruptly,
almost as soon as they were alone.

Elsa hesitated.

"No," she said at last. "I'm afraid she is not at all well. Geoff
noticed it this morning."

"Oh, indeed! Then he does notice things sometimes?" said Mr. Byrne,
drily.

"He's very fond of mamma," put in Frances.

"He takes a queer way to show it, it strikes me," remarked her uncle.

"It's--it's all his temper, I'm afraid," Frances allowed reluctantly.

"It is that he's spoilt," said Elsa. "He's perhaps not spoilt in one
way, but in another he is. He has never known any hardships or been
forced into any self-denial. Great-uncle," she went on earnestly, "if
it's true that we have lost or are going to lose nearly all our money,
won't it perhaps be a good thing for Geoff?"

"Who says you're going to lose your money?"

"I don't know exactly why I feel sure it's not coming right. I know you
said so to mamma--at least you tried to make her happier; but I can't
understand it. If that Mr. Norris wrote so strongly, there must be
something wrong."

Mr. Byrne moved and looked at her sharply.

"You don't speak that way to your mother, I hope?"

"Of course not," said Elsa; "I'm only too glad for her to feel happier
about it. I was only speaking of what I thought myself."

"Well--well--as long as yo