, not sorry to see Maudie's childish attempt
at saying something in praise of her little sister. "I must certainly go
with you to see the bantams after breakfast."

"Timmediate after breakfast!" said Hec. "Will you come timmediate? For
after zen Maudie has lessons."

"Yes," said Maudie, "I have lessons. Miss Meade comes from Springley to
give me lessons."

"And doesn't Hoodie have any?"

"Sometimes," replied Maudie. "When she's in a good humour. When she's
not, it's no use trying. I heard Miss Meade say so one day, and so now
Hoodie very often says she's in a bad humour whether she is or not, 'cos
she doesn't like lessons."

"She _says_ she's in a bad humour," repeated Magdalen, astonished.

"Oh yes, she just calls out to Miss Meade, 'oh, one's come, one's come,'
that means a bad humour's come, and once she says that, _nothing's_ any
good. She sometimes puts her fingers in her ears if Miss Meade tries to
speak to her. So mamma settled it was no good doing anything; it did so
interrumpt _my_ lessons, and I'm getting big, you know. But please,
Cousin Magdalen, will you come with us just the very minute after
breakfast, and then there'll be time?"

"Very well," said Magdalen. "I'll be ready 'timmediate,' I promise you."

Whether or no Miss King knew much about children, she knew enough to
understand that to them a promise, even about a small matter, is a very
sacred thing. And she took care not to forfeit their confidence. No
sooner did the four little figures appear on the lawn just outside the
dining-room window, than she started up from the table where, though
breakfast was finished, she was loitering a little in pleasant talk with
her friends.

"Why, where are you off to, in such a hurry?" said Mrs. Caryll.

"I beg your pardon," said Magdalen, laughing. "I promised the children
to go with them before their governess comes, to--"

"Excuse my interrupting you," said Mr. Caryll, "but I would just like to
see if I can't finish the sentence for you. I am certain they are going
to take you to see the bantams, now aren't they? They have all four,
Hoodie especially, got bantams on the brain."

He opened the glass-door as he spoke, and Miss King passed through.
Three of the children ran forward joyously to meet her, the fourth
followed more slowly, and from her way of moving, Cousin Magdalen
strongly suspected that either "one" had just come, or that "one" had
not yet gone. There was a decidedly black-doggy look a