l the little girls clustered round him and begged of him to open it
at once. They all gathered round him as they spoke, and being
exceeding fond of his daughters, he could not resist their appeal.
After all, the unexpected letter might mean less than nothing. In any
case, it must be read sometime.

'Oh, Daddy Dumps, do--_do_ read the letter!' cried Hollyhock, the
handsomest and most daring of the girls. 'We 're just mad to hear what
the braw laddie says. Open the letter, daddy mine, and set our minds
at rest.'

'The letter may not be written by any laddie, Hollyhock,' said her
father in his gentle, exceedingly dignified way.

'If it's from a woman, we'd best burn it,' said Hollyhock, who had a
holy contempt for members of her own sex.

'Oh! but fie, prickly Holly,' said her father. 'You know that I allow
no lady to be spoken against in my house.'

'Well, read the letter, daddy--read it!' exclaimed Jasmine. 'We want,
anyhow, to know what it contains.'

'I seem to recall the writing,' said Lennox, as he seated himself in an
easy-chair. 'You _will_ have it, my dears,' he continued; 'but you may
not like it after I have read it. However, here goes!'

The children gathered round their father, who slowly and carefully
unfolded the sheet of paper and read as follows:

'MY DEAR GEORGE,--It is my intention to arrive at the Garden to-morrow,
and I hope, as your dear wife's half-sister, to get a hearty welcome.
I have a great scheme in my head, which I am certain you will approve
of, and which will be exceedingly good for your funny little
daughters'----

'I do not like that,' interrupted Hollyhock. 'I am not a funny little
daughter.'

'Dearest,' said her father, kissing her between her black brows, 'we
must forgive Aunt Agnes. She doesn't know us, you see.'

'No; and we don't want to know her,' said Jasmine. 'We are very happy
as we are. We are desperately happy; aren't we, Rose; aren't we,
Delphy?'

'Yes, of course, of course,' echoed their father; 'but all the same,
children, your aunt must come. She is, remember, your dear mother's
sister.'

'Did you ever meet her, daddy?' asked Jasmine.

'Yes, years ago, when Delphy was a baby.'

'What was she like, daddy?'

'She wasn't like any of you, my precious Flowers.'

The five little girls gave a profound sigh.

'Will she stay long, daddy?' asked Gentian.

'I sincerely trust not,' said the Honourable George Lennox.

'Then _that's_ all right.