ght, don't stop to think. Just catch up your ewers of
water, and rush to my bedroom. We might get up an amateur fire-brigade,
to be in readiness. You three would be the brigade, and I would be the
captain and train you. It would be capital fun. At any moment I could
give the signal, and then, whatever you were doing--playing,--working,--
eating,--or on cold frosty nights, just when you were going to bed, off
you would have to rush, and get out your fire-buckets. Sometimes you
might have to break the ice, but there's nothing like being prepared.
We might have the first rehearsal to-night--"

"It's rather funny to hear you talking of being captain over the boys,
because the day we heard that you were coming, they all said that if
they were to be bothered with a third girl in the house, you would have
to make yourself useful, and that you should be their fag. Max said so,
and so did Oswald, and then Robert said they shouldn't have you. He had
lots of little odd things he wanted done, and he could make you very
useful. He said the other boys shouldn't have you; you were his
property."

"Tut, tut!" said Peggy pleasantly. She looked at the three scowling,
embarrassed faces, and the mocking light danced back into her eyes. "So
they were all anxious to have me, were they? How nice! I'm gratified
to hear it. Is there any little thing I can do for your honourable self
now, Mr Darcy, before I dress for dinner?"

Robert looked across the room at Mellicent with an expression which made
that young person tremble in her shoes.

"All right, young lady, I'll remember you!" he said quietly. "I've
warned you before about repeating conversations. Now you'll see what
happens. I'll cure you of that little habit, my dear, as sure as my
name is Robert Darcy--"

"The Honourable Robert Darcy!" murmured a silvery voice from the other
side of the fireplace. Robert turned his head sharply, but Peggy was
gazing into the coals with an air of lamb-like innocence, and he
subsided into himself with a grunt of displeasure.

The next day Mrs Saville came to lunch, and spent the afternoon at the
vicarage. As Maxwell had said, she was a beautiful woman; tall, fair,
and elegant, and looking a very fashionable lady when contrasted with
Mrs Asplin in her well-worn serge, but her face was sad and anxious in
expression. Esther noticed that her eyes filled with tears more than
once as she looked round the table at the husband and wife an