re glad to meet him, and that as Hilda's warm friends you
were anxious to welcome her cousin cordially, and to show him all the
courtesy you could?"

The twins looked at each other. Bell had an extraordinary way of putting
things sometimes.

"We didn't do anything of the sort!" said Phil, with an attempt at
bluster.

"Because if you did not," his sister went on, "I am afraid you must
have seemed very rude, my children. Rude and silly!"

"I wouldn't call names, Tintinnabula!" said Gerald, turning red.

"Sorry to be obliged to," retorted his sister, in perfect good humour.
"But if you looked at Mr. Ferrers as you are looking now, there really
can be no doubt about the matter. Now listen, boys! I know--Hilda has
told me--a great deal about this Mr. Jack Ferrers. Hilda loves him
dearly, as dearly as if he were her own brother, and in exactly the same
way. You need not shake your heads and try to look wise, my dears,
because you are _not_ wise! You are two very foolish boys, who are
trying to run your heads against a stone wall when there is no wall
there. That is the state of the case about Mr. Ferrers. I know
Hildegarde pretty well, and I am sure of what I am saying. You need have
no fear of him. As for Roger,--well, I don't think you need have any
fear for Roger either."

"Has he--has she--do you think they are--"

"Hush!" cried Bell, putting a hand over the mouth of each. "I don't
think anything! At least--well, that isn't true, of course; but it does
no good to talk about these things, dear boys. I do not think Hilda and
Roger are--are engaged." Bell dropped her voice to a whisper. "But I
feel quite sure they will be some day, when the time comes. I think they
understand each other very well. Roger will be here soon; suppose you
leave it all to him, Phil and Jerry, and don't worry about it. But there
is one thing you can do, and it should be done soon."

"What?" cried both boys, eagerly.

"Put on your good clothes, and your good manners, and go to call at
Roseholme."

"We'll be shot if we will!" cried the twins.

"Be just as nice as you know how to be to Mr. Jack Ferrers. He--he is a
remarkable person, I have reason to think. You see," she spoke rather
hastily, "Hilda has told me so much about him. And I--well, I heard him
play last night, and he is a very wonderful performer, boys. You never,
in your little lives, heard anything like his playing. He is too much
in love with his art to think of any such no