But if Saturday
was finer he might go out with Justin as usual.

'I really think Justin is improving,' she thought to herself with
satisfaction, 'he gives in so much more readily, instead of arguing and
discussing.'

The truth was that Justin was very much afraid of a talk with his
father, which would probably have put him under orders to keep away from
Bob Crag altogether, and this would not have suited Master Justin at
all, now that the ferrets had arrived and were comfortably installed at
the Moor Cottage.

So for one or two half-holidays Justin went off on his own account,
returning home in good time, and as no complaints reached Mr. Hervey
about him, I suppose his father took for granted that everything was
right. Very likely, for Mr. Hervey was rather absent-minded at times; he
thought that he _had_ warned Justin, forgetting that it had been Archie
and not his eldest brother to whom he had spoken of Bob that Saturday
evening.

After a time the weather 'took up again,' as the country folk say. Pat's
cold got better, and then came a Wednesday morning on which Rosamond
asked and received leave to spend the afternoon with the big boys, her
aunt saying she herself would drive over to fetch her, as she had not
seen her sister, Mrs. Hervey, for some days.

There was no discussion between the four children as to where the
afternoon should be spent. Almost without a word they all turned in the
direction of the moor.

'Justin will be off with Bob and the ferrets, of course,' said Pat to
Rosamond. 'So you and I can have a jolly time with old Nance and make
her tell us some more stories.'

'And Archie?' inquired the little girl.

'Oh, he can do whichever he likes,' said Pat. 'I daresay he'll stay with
us. He's been once or twice with Jus while my throat was bad, you know,
but I don't think he cared about it much.'

And so it proved. When they got to the Crags', Bob, as well as his
grandmother, was on the look-out for them, old Nance's face lighting up
with pleasure.

'Are you glad to see us again?' asked Archie. 'I hope you've got some
stories for us. If you know so much about fairy things, Nance, why don't
you manage to get us nice fine days for our half-holidays?'

The old woman smiled.

'It's a fine day for me when I see your faces, Master Archie,' she
replied, 'and that you know well enough. But to be sure the weather has
been contrary the last week or two. Come in, come in, missie
dear--there's some of m