and mums sat in one of the big old armchairs close to it,
and Anne and Hebe beside her. And father drew a chair to mums'
writing-table, and wrote out several advertisements for the next
morning's papers, which he sent off to the offices that very evening.
Some were in the next morning, and some weren't; but it didn't much
matter, for none of them did any good. Before he sent them he inquired
of all the servants if they had looked everywhere he had told them to.

'There is just a chance of daylight showing it in some corner,' he said,
when he had done all this, and come to sit down beside mums.

'I don't know that,' she said. 'This house is so dark by day. But, after
all, the chance of its being here is very small.'

'Yes,' father said, 'I have more hope in the advertisements.'

'And,' mother went on, her voice sounding almost as if she was going to
cry--I believe she kept it back a good deal for Anne's sake--'if--if
they don't bring anything, what about telling your father, Alan?' 'Alan'
is fathers name--'Alan Joachim,' and mine is 'Joachim Gerald.'

Father considered.

'We must wait a little. It will be a good while before I quite give up
hopes of it. And there's no use in spoiling gran's time in Ireland; for
there's no doubt the news _would_ spoil it--he's the sort of person to
fret tremendously over a thing of the kind.'

'I'm afraid he is,' said mother, and she sighed deeply.

But hearing a faint sob from Anne, father gave mother a tiny sign, and
then he asked us if we'd like him to read aloud a little sort of fairy
story he'd been writing for some magazine. Of course we all said 'Yes':
we're very proud if ever he offers to read us anything, even though we
mayn't understand it very well; but this time we did understand it--Anne
best of all, I expect. And when he had finished, it was time for us to
go to bed.

We had had, as I told you, rather an extra nice evening after all, and
father had managed to make poor mums more cheerful and hopeful.

It got worse again, however, the next day, when the hours went on, and
there came no letter or telegram or anything about the lost treasure.
For mother had got to feel almost sure the advertisements would bring
some news of it. And father was very late of coming home. It was a
dreadfully busy time for him just then. We were all in bed before he
came in, both that night and the next I remember, for I know he looked
in to say good-night to me, and to say he hoped we we