ide any more.'

Margot's face was a picture when she returned.

'I haven't the pleasure of knowing you, sir!' she said sternly, after a
severe scrutiny.

The children kept a breathless silence. They felt that 'Master
Mortimer' would be quite equal to Margot. His very coolness inspired
them with confidence.

'I'm not a burglar,' he said smiling; 'I'm a genuine relation. Bobby
and I are old friends. I'm his mother's brother.'

Margot dropped an old-fashioned curtsy, but she looked rather puzzled;
and then Bobby took courage and explained.

'He's my uncle Mortimer, Margot; and he's comed to see me, and we sawed
him out of the window and opened the door to him, and then we was
afraid you wouldn't like him, so we put him to hide behind the door.
And he's come from India, and we're asked to the wedding, and Lady
Is'bel will be here to see us tomorrow. Isn't it all puffickly
splendid!'

'And we thought you might give us cake for tea, please,' said Mr.
Egerton, with twinkling eyes.

'Oh,' whispered True to Bobby, 'he's the most 'licious man I've ever
seen!'

And Bobby nodded emphatically to such a statement.

Margot lost her suspicious look when Mr. Egerton turned to her and
talked to her. She knew a gentleman when she saw him, and she produced
cakes and hot-buttered toast, and smiled as she waited upon the merry
little party.

Bobby was in the seventh heaven of delight, and when he went to bed he
confided to Nobbles, 'I even feel, Nobbles dear, that I wouldn't mind
if me and you wented back to the House, for with Master Mortimer and
Lady Is'bel there, we shouldn't have to step on tiptoes any more.'

Chapter XII.

'A DELIGHTFUL TIME.'

When Miss Robsart came the next morning she found her pupils in a great
state of excitement, and she seemed quite as interested as they were in
their news.

'I wish I could give you a holiday,' she said; 'and I should like one
myself, but it wouldn't be right, so we'll set to work and get lessons
done as quickly as possible, and then you'll be ready for your uncle if
he comes again.'

'And,' suggested Bobby earnestly, 'you'll put down a nice short little
sum for me to do, mostly twos and fours; me and Nobbles does not like
the figures past six, they want such a lot of finking about.'

Miss Robsart laughed, but promised she would do the best she could, and
lessons went very smoothly on the whole. When they were finished she
said a little wistfully:

'I was ho