when Nurse's voice was heard calling: "Miss Mollie! Master
Geoffrey!"

"What shall we do?" said Geoffrey.

"Put it in quickly, cover it up, and we'll make the hole deeper after
tea," said Mollie.

So the box and doll were popped in the hole and covered up, and Mollie
and Geoffrey ran in to Nurse. Nurse wanted to make them tidy for tea.
Never had the two children stood so quietly to have their faces washed
and their hair brushed.

At tea-time they talked so little that Mother began to suspect that
something was wrong.

[Illustration]

"I wonder the doll doesn't come from Uncle Percy, Mollie," she said. "I
expect he is searching for the very prettiest of all the dollies."

Molly nearly choked over her bread-and-butter; but Geoffrey said never a
word.

He was staring out of the window, staring at Snap, who was tearing up
and down the lawn, carrying something brown in his mouth.

"What has Snap found?" said Mother. "Is it a rabbit? Really I must ask
Jane to----"

"I'll go, Mother," said Geoffrey, and he was down from his chair without
waiting for Mother to say "Yes" or "No."

"Oh, oh, oh!" cried Mollie. "Look at Snap!"

"What can it be?" said Mother. "Ah! Geoffrey has caught him. Now we
shall see what it was."

But Geoffrey came back into the room with the reddest of cheeks and the
emptiest of hands.

"What had the dog got, Geoffrey?" asked Mother. "Mollie, what is the
matter?"

Certainly Mollie's conduct was peculiar. She was making signs to
Geoffrey, pointing out of the window, opening her mouth, and shaking her
head.

"T-t-t--" stammered Mollie, and then there was a knock at the front
door.

"Who can that be?" said Mother.

A voice was heard in the hall, a voice they all knew.

"Uncle Percy himself," cried Mother; "then, Mollie, he must have brought
your doll."

Uncle Percy came into the room and was welcomed warmly by Mother, but
very quietly by the children. As soon as they could they slipped out of
the room and made their way into the garden. "We shall have to tell
now," said Mollie. "Where did you put it?"

"I threw it behind the laurel-bush," said Geoffrey. "I suppose I had
better get it."

He ran to the laurel-bush and Mollie followed.

"Mary Selina Trewin," said Geoffrey, "it isn't there." And though they
searched and hunted they couldn't find any trace of the ugly doll.

"Oh, dear," said Mollie, "what are we to do?"

This time she began to cry really.

"Well, you are a queer