such a cold night as this? And in a
carriage, too!"

"It's a cab, by the rattling of the wheels, and it brings us the 'Lass
o' Gowrie,'" sang Zack, combining the original text of his song, and the
suggestion of a possible visitor, in his concluding words.

"Do leave off singing nonsense out of tune, and let us listen when the
door opens," said Mrs. Blyth, glad to seize the slightest opportunity of
administering the smallest reproof to Zack.

"Suppose it should be Mr. Gimble, come to deal at last for that picture
of mine that he has talked of buying so long," exclaimed Valentine.

"Suppose it should be my father!" cried Zack, suddenly turning round on
his knees with a very blank face. "Or that infernal old Yollop, with his
gooseberry eyes and his hands full of tracts. They're both of them quite
equal to coming after me and spoiling my pleasure here, just as they
spoil it everywhere else."

"Hush!" said Mrs. Blyth. "The visitor has come in, whoever it is. It
can't be Mr. Gimble, Valentine; he always runs up two stairs at a time."

"And this is one of the heavy-weights. Not an ounce less than sixteen
stone, I should say, by the step," remarked Zack, letting his muffin
burn while he listened.

"It can't be that tiresome old Lady Brambledown come to worry you again
about altering her picture," said Mrs. Blyth.

"Stop! surely it isn't--" began Valentine. But before he could say
another word, the door opened; and, to the utter amazement of everybody
but the poor girl whose ear no voice could reach, the servant announced:

"MRS. PECKOVER."

CHAPTER XI. THE BREWING OF THE STORM.

Time had lavishly added to Mrs. Peckover's size, but had generously
taken little or nothing from her in exchange. Her hair had certainly
turned grey since the period when Valentine first met her at the circus;
but the good-humored face beneath was just as hearty to look at now, as
ever it had been in former days. Her cheeks had ruddily expanded;
her chin had passed from the double to the triple stage of jovial
development--any faint traces of a waist which she might formerly have
possessed were utterly obliterated--but it was pleasantly evident, to
judge only from the manner of her bustling entry into Mrs. Blyth's room,
that her active disposition had lost nothing of its early energy, and
could still gaily defy all corporeal obstructions to the very last.

Nodding and smiling at Mr. and Mrs. Blyth, and Zack, till her vast
country bon