ung people sauntered slowly
about the grounds. Honor's hand still rested on Pixie's arm, and her
voice had a wistful tone as she said--

"I'd like to fix a picnic _your_ way some time, Pat-ricia! It would be
a heap more fun. It must be fine to be a large family and make believe
together. It's a problem for an only child to make mischief all by
itself. ... Did you have real good times in that old castle with the
funny name?"

"We did!" affirmed Pixie eloquently. "There were so many of us, and so
little to go round, that we were kept busy contriving and scheming the
whole time, and, when _that_ failed, falling back on imagination to fill
in the gaps. It's more comfortable to be rich, but it's not half so
exciting. When you have very few things, and wait an age for them, it's
thrilling beyond words when they _do_ arrive. When Bridgie re-covered
the cushions in the drawing-room we all came to call in a string, and
sat about on chairs, discussing the weather and studying the colour
effects from different angles. Then we turned on the light and
pretended to be a party. I suppose Esmeralda never _notices_ a
cushion!"

Pixie sighed, and Honor stared, and Robert Carr looked from one to the
other, his thin lips twitching in sarcastic fashion.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

A LONG, LONG LETTER.

From Pixie O'Shaughnessy to Bridgie Victor:

"Not a moment have I had to write to you, Honey, since the first wee
note, and I've been here a whole three days. It's the most distracting
thing in the world when you've nothing to do, and takes up more time
than you'd believe. I think of you all in the morning in the dear
little house, every one bustling round, and only longing for more hands
and legs to get along the quicker, while here we sit, the six of us,
dawdling over breakfast, with not a thing to think of but how to waste
the time until we can decently begin to eat again! It isn't energetic,
and it isn't useful, and it isn't wise, or noble, or improving, or
anything of the kind, but I won't disguise from you, my dear, that, by
way of a change, it's exceedingly agreeable to the feelings.

"In Esmeralda's language, there is no one here at present, which means
that there are three other visitors besides my important self, and, what
is more, my dear, there's a full-fledged romance being acted under my
very eyes. Here's luck! Aren't things kind to happen so conveniently
for me?

"_Heroine_. Honor Ward, aged twenty-four.