How do, Buff! Pleased to have met you. So kind of you to make hay in
my drawing-room," which reproof brought Pixie quickly to her rightful
position. That was another English characteristic of Dick Victor--he
hated disorder, and was not appreciative of uproar on his return from a
day's work. Therefore there were picture-books in waiting for his
return, and after a few minutes parleying Pixie cajoled the children
into the dining-room on the plea of a bigger and more convenient table
for the display of their treasures, leaving the husband and wife alone.

Dick lay back in his easy chair, and stretched himself with an
involuntary sigh of relief. He was devoted to his children, but a quiet
chat with Bridgie was the treat _par excellence_ at this hour of the day
when he was tired and in need of rest. He stretched out a hand towards
her, and she stroked it with gentle fingers.

"Ye're tired, dear. Will I get you a cup of tea? It's not long since
it went out. If I poured some hot-water in the pot..."

Dick shuddered.

"Thank you, ma'am, _no_! If I have any, I'll have it fresh, but I don't
care about it to-day. It's nice just to rest and talk. Anything
happened to you to-day?"

"There always does. It's the most exciting thing in the world to be the
mistress of a household," said Bridgie, with relish. There were few
days when Captain Victor was not treated to a history of accidents and
contretemps on his return home, but unlike most husbands he rather
anticipated than dreaded the recital, for Bridgie so evidently enjoyed
it herself, taking a keen retrospective joy over past discomfitures.

The Victor household had its own share of vicissitudes, more than its
share perhaps, but through them all there survived a spirit of
kindliness and good fellowship which took away more than half the
strain. Maidservants arriving in moods of suspicion and antagonism
found themselves unconsciously unarmed by the cheery, kindly young
mistress, who administered praise more readily than blame, and so far
from "giving herself airs" treated them with friendly kindliness and
consideration. On the very rare occasions when a girl was poor-spirited
enough to persist in her antagonism, off she went with a month's money
in her pocket, for the peace of her little home was the greatest
treasure in the world to Bridgie Victor, and no hireling could be
allowed to disturb it. The service in the little house might not be as
mechanically per