d'you know that your cousin Jack is coming to be a
school-fellow of yours at Melchester?"

"No, aunt; is that Uncle Basil's son?"

"Yes; I want you to make friends with him, and bring him over here on
your half-term holiday. I hope he will come for a few weeks at
midsummer, and then you will all be able to have a jolly time together."

"How old is he?" asked Valentine.

"Oh, I think he is about a year older than you are--fifteen or
thereabouts."

Barbara had fished a stranger out of her cup, and was smiting the back
of one plump little hand against the other, to the accompaniment of
"Monday--Tuesday--Wednesday," and so on.

"Aunt Mab," she said suddenly, "how is it we never hear anything of
Uncle Basil, or that he never comes to visit us? What's Jack like?"

"Well, I can hardly tell you," replied Miss Fenleigh; "I've only seen
him once, poor boy, and that was several years ago."

"But why don't we ever see Uncle Basil?" persisted Barbara. "You often
come and visit us, and why doesn't he?"

"Well, I live within ten miles of your house, and Padbury is thirty or
forty miles on the other side of Melchester."

"But that isn't very far by railway; and if he can't come, why doesn't
he write?"

Aunt Mabel seemed perplexed what reply to make, but at this moment the
boy came to her rescue.

"Don't ask so many questions, Bar," he said.

Miss Barbara was always ready for a tussle, with words or any other
weapons. "Pooh!" she answered, "whom d'you think you're talking to? I
know what it is, you're angry because I knocked over more of your
soldiers than you did of mine!"

"Yes, you cheated."

"Fiddles! You thought I'd only got two peas in my mouth, you old
stupid, and instead of that I'd got six, _six_! ha! ha!" And so the
discussion continued.

Helen was nearly two years older than Valentine. She was a quiet,
thoughtful girl, and later in the evening, when her brother and sister
had gone to bed, she remained talking with her aunt in front of the
fire. While so doing, she returned to the subject of their
conversation at the tea-table.

"Aunt, why is it that father and Uncle Basil never meet?"

"Well, my dear, I didn't like to talk about it before Val and Barbara;
it's a pity they should hear the story before they are older and can
understand it better; besides, I wish the boys to be good friends when
they meet at school. Basil and your father had a dispute many years
ago about some money matters conn