'ifs.'"

Then Lord Saxby turned to Michael.

"Look here, young man, what do you want most?"

"Oh, boxes of soldiers and an unused set of Siamese," said Michael.

"Siamese what? Siamese cats?"

"No, you silly," laughed Michael, "Stamps, of course!"

"Oh, stamps," said Lord Saxby. "Right--and soldiers, eh? Good."

All the way back in the hansom Michael wished he had specified Artillery
to Lord Saxby; but two days afterwards dozens of boxes of all kinds of
soldiers arrived, and unused sets not merely of Siamese, but of North
American Tercentenaries and Borneos and Labuans and many others.

"I say," Michael gasped, "he's a ripper, isn't he? What spiffing boxes!
I say, he is a decent chap, isn't he? When are we going to see Lord
Saxby again, mother?"

"Some day."

"I can have Norton to tea on Wednesday, can't I?" begged Michael. "He'll
think my soldiers are awfully ripping."

"Darling Michael," said his mother.

"Mother, I will try and not be inky," said Michael in a burst of
affectionate renunciation.

"Dearest boy," said his mother gently.

Chapter IX: _Holidays in France_

In Michael's last term at St. James' Preparatory School, Mrs. Fane
settled that he should for the holidays go to France with Mr. Vernon and
Mr. Lodge, two masters who were accustomed each year to take a few boys
away with them to the coast of Brittany. Five boys were going this
summer--Michael and Hands and Hargreaves and Jubb and Rutherford; and
all five of them bragged about their adventure for days before school
broke up. Miss Carthew drove with Michael to Victoria Station and handed
him over to Mr. Lodge who was walking about in a very thick and romantic
overcoat. Mr. Lodge was a clean-shaven, large-faced and popular master,
and Mr. Vernon was an equally popular master, deep-voiced,
heavy-moustached, hook-nosed. In fact it was impossible to say which of
the two one liked the better. Mr. Lodge at once produced two packets of
Mazawattee tea which he told Michael to put in his pocket and say
nothing about when he landed in France, and when Hands, Hargreaves,
Rutherford and Jubb arrived, they were all given packets of tea by Mr.
Lodge and told to say nothing about them when they landed in France. Mr.
Vernon appeared, looking very business-like and shouting directions
about the luggage to porters, while Mr. Lodge gathered the boys together
and steered them through the barrier on to the platform and into the
train for Newhaven.