town, and could
see the beautiful expanse of the Vale of Conway stretched below them,
with the silvery river winding through its midst. She thoroughly
enjoyed the drive. Bess, the brown cob, went along at a good fast
pace, and so soon covered the ground that by four o'clock they had
passed under the tall avenue of beeches that shaded the road, and
drawn up at the hospitable doorway of Garth Avon. It was a pretty,
oldfashioned house, overgrown with creepers, and at present the walls
were a mass of beautiful pink and white roses, which scented the air
with their fragrance. In front was a lawn, where garden seats, basket
chairs, and a table spread with a white cloth and cups and saucers had
a very inviting appearance.

"I knew you would like to have tea out-of-doors," said Mrs. Marshall,
kissing both the children. "Ellen has made an iced spongecake on
purpose, and baked some scones, and when Mrs. M'Allister heard you
were coming home, she sent over a box of real Scotch shortbread.
Linda, take Sylvia upstairs, and then you can bring her into the
garden again when you have washed your hands. Lizzie has carried up
your bags."

Sylvia was to sleep with Linda in the spare bedroom, a pleasant room
with an oriel window, and a large bed hung with blue curtains, that
looked big enough to hold four little girls instead of two.

"My own room is over the porch," said Linda, "but it only has one very
small bed in it, and Mother thought you'd feel lonely if you slept
here quite by yourself. It's much nicer to be together as we are at
school, isn't it?" To this Sylvia cordially agreed.

"The boys are coming home too, this evening," continued Linda.
"They're going to bicycle all the way from Rhyl. Their school doesn't
break up until afternoon, so they couldn't start until four. I expect
they'll have a nice ride, if Artie's tyre keeps up. He was afraid he
had a puncture. Hilda hasn't any holiday at Whitweek in London. She's
not so well off as when she was at Miss Kaye's, but she'd got beyond
even the first class, you know. She's seventeen, and she's to leave
altogether soon. I wish you'd seen her!"

It was very pleasant sitting at tea in the dear old garden. The beds
were a blaze of flowers, and so were the tall vases which ornamented
the flight of steps leading down to the tennis lawn. Scamp joined the
party, and also a large white Persian cat, which astonished Sylvia by
sitting up and begging as cleverly as her canine companion, w