_girls_, who have to carry
their bags over their arms."

And Fritz, in a new ulster, very long and rather stiff, and feeling, to
tell the truth, a little uncomfortable at first, as new things generally
do, stalked off--I don't think he _could_ have run!--with the air of a
very big man indeed.

Celia and Denny had a slight dispute as to which was which of the
bird's cages. For it had been settled that, for the journey at least,
the canaries were to be Celia's charge and the "Bully" Denny's, though,
hitherto, these three little birds had belonged to all the children
together.

"You've got my cage, Denny," said Celia, sharply.

"I haven't," said Denny, holding hers the more tightly. It was not very
easy to see, for both were covered up with dark blue stuff wrappers, to
keep the birds warm, "and to make them think it's night all the way,"
said Baby.

"I haven't," repeated Denny, "there, don't you see _two_ yellow tails in
yours? Peep through."

And Denny proved to be right, so Celia had to give in.

And at last they were off! The drive to the station safely over without
any misadventures, the luggage all locked up in the van, the children
and the dormice and the birds--far more important things, of course,
than the big people!--all comfortably settled at one end of the nice big
saloon carriage, which grandfather had had sent down on purpose from
London.

"Dear me," said Denny, jigging up and down on her seat, "so we're really
off! How nice and springy these cushions are! And this carriage is as
big as a little house. I could _never_ be tired of travelling in a
carriage like this."

"Him zought we'd _nebber_ get away," said Baby, with his usual
solemnity. "Dear, dear, what dedful lots of boxes there is! Him's box is
'aside the 'normous big straw one; did zou know, Denny?"

"Poor grandfather," said Celia, "_what_ a lot of times he said over,
'three black portmanteaux, four, no five canvas-covered, four carpet
bags, one--fourteen in all. Is _that_ right, Helen? Grandfather's
something like Baby, he thinks no one can do anything right but himself;
and there's Peters come on purpose to bother about these things."
(Peters was grandfather's own servant.) "I wish grandfather wouldn't
fuss so. I hate people to think he's a fussy old man, something like Mr.
Briggs in Punch. As if he had never travelled before!"

As may be imagined, these remarks of Celia's were made in a low voice,
for, of course, they were intended f