id Harry, laughing; "we had rain
pretty often in Auckland, and----"

"Oh," she said, breaking in upon him, "that's too curious, because, do
you know, I thought you never had rain at all, and I do detest rain so.
It's too distressing when one has a new frock or must go to some stupid
place to see some one. But I'm too awfully glad that you've come here,
Mr. Trojan. We do want waking up a little, you know, and I'm sure
you're the very person to do it. It would be too funny if you were to
wake us all up, you know."

Harry was pleased. There were no difficulties here, at any rate.
Hadn't Robin mentioned Mrs. le Terry as one of the leaders of Fallacy
Street? He suddenly lost his shyness and wanted to become
confidential. He would tell her how glad he was to be back in England
again; how anxious he was to enter into all the fun and to take his
part in all the work. He wondered what she felt about the Cove, and he
hoped that she would be an enemy to its proposed destruction.

But she yielded him no opportunity of speaking, and he speedily
discovered her opinion on the Cove. "And such changes since you went
away! Quite another place, I'm glad to say. Pendragon is the sweetest
little town, and even the dear, dirty trippers in the summer are the
most delightful and amusing people you ever saw. And now that they
talk of pulling down that horrid, dirty old Cove, it will be too
splendid, with lodging-houses and a bandstand; and they do talk of an
Esplanade--that would be too delightful!"

While she was speaking, he watched the room curiously. Robin had come
in and was standing by the fireplace talking to the Miss Werrels, two
girls of the athletic type, with short skirts and their hair brushed
tightly back over their foreheads. He was leaning with one arm on the
mantelpiece, and was looking down on the ladies with an air of languid
interest: his eyes were restless, and every now and again glanced
towards his father. The two Miss Ponsonbys were massive ladies of any
age over fifty. Clad in voluminous black silk, with several little
reticules and iron chains, their black hair bound in tight coils at the
back of their heads, each holding stiffly her teacup with a tenacity
that was worthy of a better cause, they were awe-inspiring and
militant. In spite of their motionless gravity, there was something
aggressive in their frowning brows and cold, expressionless eyes.
Harry thought that he had never seen two more terri