any of those tricks,
my dear, or you'll be getting old Nance into trouble for filling your
head with nonsense, and then you'd not be let come to see me, which
would be sad for me,' and she gave a little sigh. 'Promise me, you'll
never do anything your dear papa and mamma wouldn't like.'

Archie laughed.

'I was really half joking,' he said. 'I know there aren't really any
fairies, nowadays anyway. Pat, don't you go and tell Justin what I was
saying, or he'd make fun of me.'

'I'm not going to,' said Pat. 'Jus doesn't care about things like that.'

'I think they're lovely,' said Miss Mouse. 'Fancying about pretty things
is almost as nice as having them really, don't you think?'

There was no time, however, for any more talk, for at that moment
Justin, followed by Bob, made his appearance at the door.

'I say,' he called out, 'I'm going home, and you'd better all come with
me.'

'It's not late,' objected Pat, who was feeling very comfortable and
disinclined to move, 'and we had leave to stay out later.'

'I can't help it,' said Justin. '_I_ want to go back now. I've a reason
for it. I'll tell you about it as we go.'

The others had to give in to him, as was generally the case. They all
said good-bye to their old friend, Rosamond holding up her little face
to be kissed as she thanked Nance again, for which she was rewarded by a
hearty--'Bless you, my sweet,' and then the whole party of children set
off for Moor Edge, Bob making one of them.

'Why is he coming?' said Pat in a low voice to Justin, nodding his head
backwards towards Bob, who was walking behind them.

'That's what I've got to tell you about,' said Justin in the same tone.
'It's about the ferrets. He's found a splendid pair after a lot of
bother, but he must have the money. You've got yours ready, I suppose?'

'Bother,' said Pat. 'I don't care about the nasty little beasts. I did
hope you'd give them up.'

'But you promised,' said Justin, ready to be angry. 'I've never spoken
of giving them up, and you offered the money at the first. You seemed as
if you wanted to have them as much as I did.'

'I'm not going back from my promise,' said Pat, half-sulkily,
remembering his Aunt Mattie's advice to try to show more interest in the
things Justin cared for. 'You can have the money whenever you like,' he
went on in a brighter tone, as he remembered also that the ferrets,
being kept at Bob's, would be a certain reason for frequent visits to
the cottage