his door, to make
him hurry, I suppose, and again it hit _me_, as I was crossing the
passage. And--and--somehow a very little thing seems to make my head
ache lately.'

In her heart Aunt Mattie did not feel surprised.

'If what I have seen to-day goes on from morning till night, I am sure I
don't wonder,' she thought to herself, as she turned again to Justin.
But he stopped her before she had time to speak.

'Auntie,' he said, looking, and it is to be hoped, still more _feeling_,
very much ashamed of himself--'auntie, I _was_ very sorry the books hit
Miss Ward, especially this morning. But I didn't in the least mean it
for her----'

'I should hope not, indeed,' interrupted Mrs. Caryll.

'And,' continued Justin, 'Miss Ward knows I didn't, and we had made it
all up and nothing more would have been heard about it but for that
little sneak, Hec.'

'You meant to have told your father and mother about it when they came
home, surely?' said his aunt.

Justin reddened again, and muttered something about getting into scrapes
enough without needing to _put_ himself into them; remarks which Mrs.
Caryll thought it wiser not to hear.

'Please don't say anything more about it,' said Miss Ward, speaking more
decidedly than she had yet done. 'It is not often we have the pleasure
of visitors at tea, and my head is really much better now. I am _sure_
nothing of the kind will happen again, and--and--little Miss----'

'Mouth,' said Gervais quite gravely.

'Mouth?' repeated Miss Ward, looking very puzzled.

'No,' Hec corrected, '_Mouse_.'

'Miss Mouse,' she went on, 'will think us a party of----'

'Wild cats,' interrupted Archie.

And at this everybody burst out laughing, Miss Ward included, for she
_was_ very good-natured--and on the whole perhaps the laughing was the
best thing that could have happened. Then Aunt Mattie had to explain
that her little niece's name was not really 'Miss Mouse,' but
Rosamond--Rosamond Caryll, as her father was Uncle Ted's brother--though
the boys all joined, for once, in saying that _they_ were always going
to call her Miss Mouse, 'it suited her so well,' in which their
governess agreed.

And tea went on peacefully and pleasantly on the whole, though Miss
Mouse's eyes grew very round with surprise more than once at the pushes
and thumps that passed between the boys, and the growls and snaps and
mutterings, even though the five were decidedly on their best behaviour.
Aunt Mattie did her utmo