f consideration for the girls' feelings.
Mellicent's eager face, however, was too eloquent to escape attention,
and Mrs Saville smiled at her in an encouraging manner.

"Well, dear, what is it? Don't be afraid. I mean something really nice
and handsome; not just a little thing. Tell me what you thought?"

"A--a new violin!" cried Mellicent eagerly. "Mine is so old and
squeaky, and my teacher said I needed a new one badly. A new violin
would be nicest of all."

Mrs Saville looked round the table, caught an expressive grimace going
the round of three boyish faces, and raised her eyebrows inquiringly.

"Yes? Whatever you like best, of course. It is all the same to me.
But would the violin be a pleasure to all? What about the boys?"

"They would hear me play! The pieces would sound nicer. They would
like to hear them."

"Ahem!" coughed Maxwell loudly; and at that there was a universal shriek
of merriment. Peggy's clear "Ho! ho!" rang out above the rest, and her
mother looked at her with sparkling eyes. Yes, yes, yes; the child was
happy! She had settled down already into the cheery, wholesome life of
the vicarage, and was in her element among these merry boys and girls!
She hugged the thought to her heart, finding in it her truest comfort.
The laughter lasted several minutes, and broke out intermittently from
time to time as that eloquent cough recurred to memory, but after all it
was Mellicent who was the one to give the best suggestion.

"Well then, a--a what-do-you-call-it!" she cried. "A thing-um-me-bob!
One of those three-legged things for taking photographs! The boys look
so silly sometimes, rolling about together in the garden, and we have
often and often said, `Don't you wish we could take their photographs?
They _would_ look such frights!' We could have ever so much fun with a
what-do-you-call-it?"

"Ah, that's something like!" "Good business." "Oh, wouldn't it be
sweet!" came the quick exclamations; and Mrs Saville looked most
pleased and excited of all.

"A camera!" she cried. "What a charming idea! Then you would be able
to take photographs of Peggy and the whole household, and send them out
for me to see. How delightful! That is a happy thought, Mellicent. I
am so grateful to you for thinking of it, dear. I'll buy a really good
large one, and all the necessary materials, and send them down at once.
Do any of you know how to set to work?"

"I do, Mrs Saville," Oswald said. "I