the world. Tony sat on a little chair at her side, not very
near, but still near enough to manifest a more friendly spirit than in
the morning. Peter waited in the background while the song went on.

I saw a ship a-sailing, a-sailing on the sea,
And it was full of pretty things for Tony, Fay and me.
There was sugar in the cabin and kisses in the hold----

"Whose kisses?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"Mummy's kisses, of course," said Jan.

"Why doesn't it _say_ so, then?" Tony demanded.

"Mummy's kisses in the hold," Jan sang obediently--

The sails were made of silk and the masts were made of gold.
Gold, gold, the masts were made of gold.

"What nelse?" Fay asked before Jan could start the second verse.

There were four-and-twenty sailors a-skipping on the deck,
And they were little white mice with rings about their neck.
The captain was a duck, with a jacket on his back,
And when the ship began to sail, the captain cried, "Quack! Quack!
Quack! Quack!" The captain cried, "Quack! Quack!"

"What nelse?" Fay asked again.

"There isn't any nelse, that's all."

"Adain," said Fay.

"Praps," Tony said thoughtfully, "there was _some_ auntie's kisses in
that hold ... just a few...."

"I'm sure there were," said a new voice, and Peter appeared on the
verandah.

The children greeted him with effusion, and when he sat down Tony sat on
his knee. He was never assailed by fears lest Peter should want to kiss
him. Peter was not that sort.

"Sing nunner song," little Fay commanded.

"Not now," Jan said; "we've got a visitor and must talk to him."

"Sing nunner song," little Fay repeated firmly, just as though she had
not heard.

"Not now; some other time," Jan said with equal firmness.

"Mack!" said the baby, and suited the action to the word by dealing her
aunt a good hard smack on the arm.

"You mustn't do that," said Jan; "it's not kind."

"Mack, mack, mack," in _crescendo_ with accompanying blows.

Jan caught the little hand, while Peter and Tony, interested spectators,
said nothing. She held it firmly. "Listen, little Fay," she said, very
gently. "If you do that again I shall take you to Ayah in the nursery.
Just once again, and you go."

Jan loosed the little hand, and instantly it dealt her a resounding slap
on the cheek.

It is of no avail to kick and scream and wriggle in the arms of a
strong, decided young aunt. For the second time that day, a vociferously
s