'Nearly six shillings,' repeated the little girl; 'that's a lot of
money. I've never had as much at a time, except----'

'Except when?' asked Justin, eyeing her rather curiously.

'Except when I was collecting for something,' she replied, 'for papa's
or mamma's birthday, or something like that.'

'Are you collecting just now?' asked Justin.

Rosamond's little face grew pink.

'I'd rather----' she began, 'rather not----' and then again she
hesitated. 'It's a sort of a secret.'

'Well, you might as well tell us about it,' said Justin. Rosamond looked
distressed.

'I think it's not fair of you to tease her, Justin,' said Archie
indignantly. 'You don't like people prying into your secrets, I know
that,' and Justin looked a little ashamed of himself, while Miss Mouse
gave Archie's hand a grateful squeeze.

They had been walking fast all this time as well as talking, and they
were now within sight of the cottage, but no Bob was to be seen, and
when they came nearer they saw to their surprise that the door was shut,
and the usually open window closed also.

'Where can they be?' said Justin, stopping short in front of the hut. 'I
told Bob we'd be passing about now, and he said he'd be sure to be back.
I wonder if the old woman knows?' and he was preparing to knock at the
door when Pat stopped him.

'It's no good, Jus,' he said, 'there's no one there. I know how it is,
it's Saturday morning, and Nance has gone to buy her marketings for the
week. You see we never come by on Saturdays, so we've not noticed it
before.'

'It's too bad of Bob,' said Justin, falling back. 'I'll come home this
way, for I must see him to-day.'

'You can come by yourself then,' said Pat. 'I wish to goodness I hadn't
given you my money. You worry one's life out when you take a thing in
your head.'

Justin was about to make an angry reply, pretty sure to be followed by a
quarrel, when Rosamond interposed.

'Much the best thing would be to make some plan for getting more money,'
she said, 'and then it would be all right, wouldn't it? I'm sure poor
Bob has done his best. If you want the ferrets so very much why don't
you ask your papa to lend it to you, and you would pay it back by
degrees out of your pocket-money?'

'He'd never do that,' said Justin,' at least not to help me to get
ferrets.'

Rosamond opened her eyes very wide.

'Why, he doesn't mind you having them, does he?' she said.

'He doesn't want us to have them at home,' the