out he felt rather cold. Jimmy was not used to dressing
himself quite without help, for at school Miss Roberts had always come
to tie his necktie and button his collar. He found it difficult to
button it this morning with his cold little fingers; and as for the
necktie, it was not tied quite so nicely as it might have been.

Still he was ready when he heard a bell ring, and he ran downstairs two
steps at a time, and almost ran against Aunt Selina at the bottom. She
looked more stiff and severe in the morning than she had looked last
night, and not at all the sort of person you would like to run against.

'Good-morning,' said Jimmy, as she entered the dining-room.

She shook hands with Jimmy and her hand felt very cold; but when once he
was seated at the table the coffee was nice and hot, and so were the
eggs and bacon, and Jimmy had no time to think of anything else just
yet. But just as he was wondering whether he should ask for another
rasher of bacon, his aunt spoke to him.

'When you have _quite_ finished,' she said, 'I wish to speak to you,'
and after that he did not like to ask for any more.

So Jimmy pushed back his chair, and his Aunt Selina rose from hers and
went to stand by the fire.

'I did not wish to tell you last night for fear of exciting you and
keeping you awake,' she said, 'but I wrote to your Aunt Ellen while you
were having tea.'

'Oh, thank you, I'm glad of that,' answered Jimmy.

'I told her I should send you to Chesterham by the half-past twelve
train,' Miss Morton explained, 'and I asked her to meet you at the
station.'

'Hurray,' cried Jimmy, 'then I am to go this morning.'

'It is not quite certain yet,' was the answer. 'I asked your Aunt Ellen
to send me a telegram if she could receive you. If the telegram arrives
before twelve, you will go by the half-past twelve train.'

'But suppose it doesn't come?' said Jimmy.

'I sincerely trust it will,' was the answer.

'So do I,' cried Jimmy.

'I have ordered a packet of sandwiches to be prepared,' said Miss
Morton.

'Ham or beef?' asked Jimmy.

'Ham--do you like ham?'

'Oh yes, when there's no mustard,' said Jimmy.

'I told Jones not to have any mustard put on them,' answered his aunt;
'and,' she continued, 'if you go to-day I shall give you half-a-crown.'

'Shan't I have the half-crown if I don't go to-day?' asked Jimmy
eagerly.

'I hope you will go,' she said. 'But you must not spend it in waste.'

'I won't,' cried Jimmy