do quite well," said auntie,
cheerfully.

So they drove home, quickly, just stopping a moment to pick up Fritz,
who was waiting for them at the gate of his school.

If they _had_ happened to go round by the old curiosity shop, how
surprised they would have been; but what a great deal of trouble it
would have saved them, as you shall hear.

Lisa met them as they got home, with a long story about the table and
the flowers and the stupidness of Francois, which mother and auntie
could hardly help laughing at.

"Never mind, Lisa," said mother; "it will do very well, I am sure. Where
are the children?"

"Upstairs, Miladi, taking off their things. They have just come in,"
said Lisa, never thinking, somehow, as mother said the "children," but
that she was talking of Celia and Denny. For, somehow, in this
family--in every family there are little habits of the kind--Baby was
not often spoken of among "the children." They had all got so used to
the name of Herr Baby, which Lisa had called him by since he was quite a
wee baby, that he was seldom spoken of by any other, and often Baby
himself would talk gravely about "the children," without any one seeming
to think it odd.

"Upstairs, are they?" said mother. "Well, run off, Fritz, dear, and try
and get some of your lessons done before tea. Mademoiselle will help you
a little, I daresay, before she goes."

Off ran Fritz. He was a very good boy about his lessons, and anxious to
get on well. More to please Lisa and the others than that they cared,
mother and auntie went into the dining-room. They were standing looking
at the pretty flowers and leaves, when suddenly Fritz put his head in at
the door again.

"Lisa," he said, "where's Baby? He's not upstairs, and he's not in the
garden. Linley said you told him to play there this afternoon, but he's
_not_ there."

Lisa started, and her face grew white.

"Mine child!" she cried. "Ah, but he must be in the garden, Master
Fritz! I saw him there so happy, with the cat, just--ah, how long ago
was it? Have I forgotten him for so long? He must be hiding--to play,
to--how do you say?" for Lisa's English was very apt to fly away when
she got frightened or upset. "Ach, where can he be?" and off darted poor
Lisa.

Mother and auntie and Fritz looked at each other.

"Can he be _lost_?" said Fritz, with a very frightened face.

"Oh no, no," said auntie. "Lisa is so easily startled. But still----"

"Let us all go and look for him at