tructions this time.

"Whatever is that noise?" said Mrs Inglis, listening to the stumping of
the stilts; but taking no further notice, for she was making the tea,
while Mr Inglis was looking over the contents of a newspaper which had
just come in by post.

"Stump--stump" went the stilts, while Fred had slipped out of the
breakfast-room to see what was going on, and now stood in the doorway
making a sort of silent echo of Philip's grin.

"Stump--stump; stump--stump; crish--crash--dangle," said the stilts, the
lamp, and Harry's head.

"Whatever are those boys doing?" said Mr Inglis, jumping up and going
to the door, closely followed by Mrs Inglis, and just as the young dog
was stumping back after knocking his head against the swing lamp.

Mr and Mrs Inglis had better have stopped in the room, for no sooner
did Harry see his father's face issue from the door, than he let go of
the stilts, and one fell in one direction, and one in the other. Stilt
number one fell to the right, crash into the flower-stand, and chopped
some of the best branches off the fuchsias; while stilt number two--oh!
unlucky stick!--went crash down upon the great antique vase that stood
in the hall upon a pedestal, knocked it off, and there it lay, shivered
upon the marble floor.

Harry looked for a moment at his father, then at the vase, and then at
the door and rushing out of it as hard as he could, was gone in a
moment.

"Fetch back that boy," said Mr Inglis, sternly, as he walked back into
the breakfast-parlour, and rang the bell for one of the servants to
clear away the fragments. "Fetch back that boy."

Away darted Philip to execute his commission, while Fred, who felt very
uncomfortable, followed his uncle and aunt back into the room, where
they continued their breakfast--Mr Inglis only reverting to the
newspaper again, and saying nothing about the accident. The first cup
of tea was finished, but no Philip; no Harry. The second cup--no
Philip; no Harry. And at last breakfast was nearly done, when Mr
Inglis said--

"Wherever can those boys be?"

He had hardly spoken, when Philip came in to say that he could not find
his brother anywhere; and all the time looking as miserable and dejected
as though he had himself been the culprit Mr Inglis told Philip to sit
down to his breakfast; finished his own; and then got up, and went out
of the room.

In about a quarter of an hour he returned, followed by Harry, with his
face bearing the