iss," said Fletcher, rather glad of some one to consult in his
perplexity. "I don't know who it is--that's to say, it's a little boy
and girl who say as they've come from the station, but I can't justly
make out who it is they want."

"How funny," said Sybil, coming forward and peering out from under
Fletcher's arm, "perhaps they'll tell _me_ what they want. Who are you,
little girl? Is it my mother you want? Will you give me your message?"

She looked more like a little princess than ever. She was dressed to go
down to the drawing-room before dinner--all white embroidery and lace
and rose-coloured ribbons. Floss and Carrots looked at her with a sort
of dazzled admiration, mingled with shy bewilderment. It all seemed more
of a mistake than ever--Sybil was evidently not expecting them--if only
the railway station had not been so dreadfully far away, Floss felt as
if she would have liked to take Carrots by the hand and go away back
again, all the long weary way to Sandyshore!

But _Carrots'_ faith in auntie and Sybil was unshaken--and his childlike
confidence less susceptible of chill. Partly from mortification, partly
to hide that she was crying, Floss stood perfectly silent, but Carrots
pressed forward.

"It is Flossie and me, Sybil--don't you remember us? We've walked _such_
a long way, and there was nobody to meet us at the station, and we are
_so_ cold and so hungry!"

Sybil gave a sort of leap into the air. "Floss and Carrots!" she cried,
"oh mother, mother, come quick, here are Floss and Carrots!"

She seemed to fly across the hall in one second, and darting down a
passage disappeared, crying out all the way, "Flossie and Carrots--oh
mother, mother, come."

And before the children had time to consider what they had best do, and
_long_ before the very deliberate Mr. Fletcher had collected his wits
sufficiently to decide upon inviting them to come in, Sybil was back
again, closely followed by her mother, whom she had dragged out of the
drawing-room without any other explanation than her cry of "Floss and
Carrots, oh mother, Flossie and Carrots."

[Illustration: "It is Flossie and me, Sybil--don't you remember us?"
_To face page_ 184.]

And when Floss saw auntie running to them, with her kind face all
eagerness and anxiety, the shyness and the disappointment and the
mortification all seemed suddenly to melt away. She rushed into the hall
and threw herself sobbing into auntie's arms. "Oh auntie," she cried,