rge of winding up
affairs, should Hempel take it in his head to leave him in the lurch.

The lean figure moved on and blocked the doorway. Now there was a
sudden babble of cheepy voices, and simultaneously Sarah cried: "Where
have you been, my little cherubs? Come to your aunt, and let her kiss
you!"

But the children, who had frankly no great liking for Aunt Sarah,
would, Mahony knew, turn a deaf ear to this display of opportunism and
make a rush for his wife. Laying down his book he ran out. "Polly ...
cautious!"

"It's all right, Richard, I'm being careful." Polly had let her mending
fall, and with each hand held a flaxen-haired child at arm's length.
"Johnny, dirty boy! what HAVE you been up to?"

"He played he was a digger and sat down in a pool--I couldn't get him
to budge," answered Jerry, and drew his sleeve over his perspiring
forehead.

"Oh fy, for shame!"

"Don' care!" said John, unabashed.

"Don' tare!" echoed his roly-poly sister, who existed but as his shadow.

"Don't-care was made to care, don't-care was hung!" quoted Aunt Sarah
in her severest copybook tones.

Turning his head in his aunt's direction young John thrust forth a
bright pink tongue. Little Emma was not behindhand.

Polly jumped up, dropping her work to the ground. "Johnny, I shall
punish you if ever I see you do that again. Now, Ellen shall put you to
bed instead of Auntie."--Ellen was Mrs. Hemmerde's eldest, and Polly's
first regular maidservant.

"Don' care," repeated Johnny. "Ellen plays pillers."

"Edn pays pidders," said the echo.

Seizing two hot, pudgy hands Polly dragged the pair indoors--though
they held back mainly on principle. They were not affectionate
children; they were too strong of will and set of purpose for that; but
if they had a fondness for anyone it was for their Aunt Polly: she was
ruler over a drawerful of sugar-sticks, and though she scolded she
never slapped.

While this was going on Hempel stood, the picture of indecision, and
eased now one foot, now the other, as if his boots pinched him.

At length he blurted out: "I was wondering, ma'am--ahem! Miss
Turnham--if, since it is an agreeable h'evening, you would care to take
a walk to that 'ill I told you of?"

"Me take a walk? La, no! Whatever put such an idea as that into your
head?" cried Sarah; and tatted and tatted, keeping time with a pretty
little foot.

"I thought per'aps ..." said Hempel meekly.

"I didn't make your thoughts, Mr. Hem