reakfast with pleasure.
Grandmother won't be up for an hour yet, and father's not at home just
now."

"Werry good," said Dick, taking a short black pipe out of his
coat-pocket, "that's all right. And 'ow do 'ee like Ramsgate, Nora, now
you've had a fair trial of it?"

"I think I like it better than Yarmouth; but perhaps that is because we
live in a more airy and cheerful street. I would not have troubled you
so early, Mr Moy"--("'Tain't no trouble at all, Nora; werry much the
reverse")--"but that I am anxious to hear how you got on with poor
Billy--"

At this point Babel burst forth with redoubled fury. Dick was attacked
and carried by storm; the short black pipe was seized, and an old hat
was clapped on his head and thrust down over his eyes! He gave in at
once, and submitted with resignation. He struck his colours, so to
speak, without firing a shot, and for full five minutes breasted the
billows of a sea of children manfully, while smart Mrs Moy spread the
breakfast-table as quietly as if nothing were going on, and Nora sat and
smiled at them.

Suddenly Dick rose for the second time from his dive, flung off the
foam, tossed aside the baby, rescued the infant from impending
destruction, and thundered "Silence! mum's the word for three minutes
more."

"That's six, daddy!" cried the eldest boy, whose spirit of opposition
was growing so strong that he could not help indulging it, even against
his own interests.

"No," said Dick sternly.

"It was three minutes last time," urged the boy; "an' you said three
minutes _more_ this time; three minutes more than three minutes is six
minutes, ain't it?"

"Three minutes," repeated Dick, holding up a warning finger.

Babel ceased; the nine pair of eyes (excepting those of the infant)
became fixed, and Nora proceeded--

"I wanted to hear how you got on with Billy. Did they take him in at
once? and what sort of place is the Grotto? You see I am naturally
anxious to know, because it was a terrible thing to send a poor boy away
from his only friend among strangers at such an age, and just after
recovering from a bad illness; but you know I could not do otherwise.
It would have been his ruin to have--"

She paused.

"To have stopped where he was, I s'pose you would say?" observed Dick.
"Well, I ain't sure o' that, Nora. It's quite true that the bad company
he'd 'ave seen would 'ave bin against 'im; but to 'ave you for his
guardian hangel might 'ave counteracted