was the vicar, but they
came over to try and see you at church, and then they saw daddy, and then
they looked round and saw me and Tom, and Faith--of course they didn't
know Faith, but they guessed she was another of us because of her red
hair. And they waited until we came out of church to speak to us--they
wanted to inquire for Audrey."

"And oh, they are so nice, mother dear," chimed in Faith excitedly.
"You will love them. They are coming here to see you."

"I am so glad, dear, it will be nice for you to have companions. Did you
not know who they were, Audrey, and where they were going to stay?"

Audrey nodded. She was looking embarrassed, troubled and vexed.
"Yes, mother, at least, they said they were going to stay with a Mr.
Vivian, but--but I did not know him--and I--I didn't know them----"

"Did you like them, dear?"

"Yes, but I only saw them for a little while, of course. We did not
travel all the way together. They weren't with me when daddy met me."
She spoke quickly, hurrying out a jumble of excuses.

"They are so jolly and friendly one could not help liking them," cried
Faith enthusiastically.

"Daddy asked them to come back with us to supper," chimed in Tom,
"and they did wish they could, but they had to walk the three miles home
and their mother would be anxious about them if they were late."

"Their mother! Was their mother with them, Audrey, when you travelled
together?"

"Yes."

"Oh, what must she think of us," cried poor Mrs. Carlyle, really
distressed. "Such near neighbours, and to have taken no notice of them
all these weeks. We knew her husband quite well before he married----"

"But they are coming to see us, mummy," cried Debby consolingly.
"They are coming one day very soon. They said so."

Audrey nearly groaned. She thought of the ragged garden, the shabby
house; the ill-cooked, untidily served meals--and she felt she could have
cried. "Why couldn't they have stayed at home? Why must they come
tearing over to Moor End? and oh, what must they think of her for never
having mentioned them to her people, after their kindness and friendliness
too, in inviting her over to see them! Oh dear, how wrong everything in
this world did go!"

"Are you not pleased, Audrey? Don't you want to see them again?"
Mrs. Carlyle inquired anxiously.

"Oh, yes--oh, yes, mother, I should like to see them if--if we had a nice
place to ask them to, but they must be rich, they probably have