hing just for the
pleasure of coming back to a home like mine, my girl."

CHAPTER VI.

Mona was growing more and more impatient. "Grown-ups do take so long over
everything," she thought irritably. "If it gets much later mother will
say, 'there isn't time to open the parcels to-night, we must wait till
morning!' Oh, dear!"

It was long past eight before they had sat down to their meal, and then,
her father and mother both being very tired, they took it in such a
leisurely fashion that Mona thought they never would have finished.
They, of course, were glad to sit still and talk of their day's doings,
but Mona, as soon as her hunger was satisfied, was simply longing to be up
and examining the contents of the tempting-looking parcels which had
waited so long on the side-table.

She fidgeted with her knife and fork, she rattled her cup and shuffled
her feet, but still her father went on describing his adventures,
and still Lucy sat listening eagerly. To them this was the happiest and
most restful time of the day. The day's work was done, duty would not
call to them again until morning. The kitchen was warm and comfortable.
It was just the right time for a leisurely talk, but Mona did not realise
this.

At last, disturbed by her restlessness, her mother and father broke off
their talk and got up from the table.

"Now you have a pipe, father, while Mona and I put away the supper things.
After that I'll be able to sit down and hear the rest of it. I expect
Mona's tired and wants to be off to bed."

"No, I am not," said Mona sharply. In her heart she grumbled, "Work,
work, always work--never a bit of fun." She had forgotten the hours she
had spent playing on the quay only a little while before. She would not
remind her mother of the parcels, but sulked because she had forgotten
them. Lucy looked at her anxiously now and again, puzzled to know why her
mood had changed so suddenly. She was still puzzling over the matter,
when, in putting something back on the side-table, she saw the pile of
parcels.

"Why, Mona," she cried, "I'd forgot all about my shopping, and the things
I was going to show you. Make haste and dry your hands and come and look.
We'll be able to have a nice, quiet little time now before we go to bed!"

Mona's face changed at once, and her whole manner too. It did not take
her long after that to finish up and be ready.

"That," said Lucy, putting one big roll aside, "that's the blue