hat to do with a girl
cousin. Of course she won't care about cricket, though Lillie Mayson
likes it, and she will be afraid of the dogs, and scream at old Jerry. I
wonder we never even heard of her before, or of Uncle Frank either. I
wonder----"

"What's the use of wondering, Bert?" Eddie interrupted, a little
impatiently. "Papa told us all he wished us to know, I dare say. Come
along for a walk. What's the good of idling here all the morning? It
won't bring the carriage a minute sooner to stand watching for it."

"No, of course not; but I want to rush down the road to meet it, and we
can't go for a walk till it comes. It would be a poor sort of welcome
for Cousin Agnes;" and Bertie took another long look down the road,
where nothing was visible save a cloud of fine white dust.

Three mornings before Mr. Rivers had summoned both boys to his study,
and very gravely informed them that their Uncle Frank was dead, and his
only child, Agnes Rivers, was coming to reside at Riversdale.

"She has no home, no friends, no money, no mother. Try and be kind to
her, boys. Don't ignore her, Edward; don't tease her, Bertie; and ask
her no questions about her parents or her past history, remember that!"

The boys promised; they always obeyed their father implicitly: indeed,
absolute unquestioning obedience was one thing Mr. Rivers exacted from
every person he came in contact with.

But Bertie was far from satisfied with the very meagre information he
had received, and directly he got a favourable opportunity, he besieged
Mrs. Mittens, the old housekeeper, with questions concerning the new
relation who was coming to make her home with them, and of the Uncle
Frank whose name he had never heard before. Eddie did not share his
curiosity, or perhaps concluded that his father's command to ask no
questions was a general one; Bertie insisted it only referred to Agnes
herself, and repeated his father's exact words to the housekeeper.

"I think, Master Bertie, your papa meant you to ask no questions of
anybody; and I have very little to tell," she said, gravely. "But this
much I think you may know. Your Uncle Frank was your papa's only
brother: he displeased your grandpapa, and left home in consequence."

"But what did he do?" Bertie cried eagerly.

"Everything he should not have done; but his worst fault was
disobedience, and a world of trouble it got him into. Remember that,
Master Bertie: your grandpapa would be obeyed, and your papa