ar of the gate, clapping her
hands in delight at the performances of the horse, which she imagined
were being enacted solely for her benefit, and she grumbled quite
vigorously when Billykins ran out to tell her that supper was ready and
she must come in.

"We have supper every night, but it isn't every night that Rocky will
cut capers like that," she said, with a swing of her plump little arm in
the direction of the horse, but upset her balance in the process, and
tumbled into the arms of Billykins, who proved unequal to the strain of
her sudden descent, and so they rolled over in the dust together.

"I think that you are most astonishingly clumsy," said the small maiden,
scrambling up with an offended air, and not even saying "Thank you" to
Billykins for having been bottom dog for the moment.

"When you want to fall off gates on to people you should choose big, fat
people, and then perhaps they wouldn't give way as I did; but you really
are fearfully heavy," answered Billykins, who was shaking the dust from
himself as a dog shakes off the water when he comes out of a pond.

Then they took hold of each other's hands and ran back to the house,
where Rumple and Don had got supper ready in the outer room, while
Nealie and Sylvia were busy with Rupert in the bedroom.

The luggage had all been stowed away in as shipshape a style as
possible, the wagon had been drawn in at the paddock gate, and now the
place was crammed full with the big family, who were all, with the
exception of Rupert, strung up to the highest pitch of excitement,
waiting for their father's return.

But, having had no proper meal since breakfast, they simply could not
wait until he came before having their supper.

Yet, despite the fact that the long journey was safely over, and they
had reached their father's house, it was not a cheerful meal. Rupert's
condition forbade any laughter or joking; besides, Nealie and Rumple
looked so fearfully nervous that it was quite impossible to be even as
lively as usual.

Rumple's trouble was simply and solely because of that letter which he
had forgotten to post, and that had led to there being no welcome for
them when they arrived. Of course it was surprising that Mr. Runciman
had not written again; but then everyone knew that Mr. Runciman never
wrote a letter when he could possibly shirk the task, and that was why
they had been so urgent in their entreaties that he should write the
letter while they waited o