way whenever she wants to go."

"Very well. You had better be off now. You must wait outside the station.
When she comes out you are to touch your hat and say, 'This is the
carriage from The Dales.' Be sure you say that, John. And look as
important as ever you can. We must make the best of things, even if we
are poor."

"You never saw me, miss, demeaning the family," said John.

He again touched his very shabby hat, whipped up the pony, and
disappeared down the avenue.

"Now, then," said Briar, "how are we to pass the next two hours? It will
take them quite that time to get here."

"And what are we going to give her to eat when she does come?" said
Patty. "She'll be awfully hungry. I expect she'll want her dinner."

"Dinner!" cried Josephine. "Dinner! So late. But we dine at one."

"You silliest of silly mortals," said Verena, "Aunt Sophia is a
fashionable lady, and fashionable ladies dine between eight and nine
o'clock."

"Do they?" said Josephine. "Then I'm glad I'm not a fashionable lady.
Fancy starving all that long time! I'm always famished by one o'clock."

"There's Penelope!" suddenly said Patty. "Doesn't she look odd?"

Penelope was a very stout child. She had black eyes and black hair. Her
hair generally stood upright in a sort of halo round her head; her face
was very round and rosy--she looked like a kind of hard, healthy
winter-apple. Her legs were fat, and she always wore socks instead of
stockings. Her socks were dark blue. Nurse declared that she could not be
fashed with putting on white ones. She wore a little Turkey-red frock,
and she had neither hat nor coat on. She was going slowly and
thoughtfully round the lawn, occasionally stooping and picking something.

"She's a perfect mystery," said Pauline. "Let's run up to her and ask her
what she's about."

Catching Patty's hand, the two girls scampered across the grass.

"Well, Pen, and what are you doing now? What curious things are you
gathering?" they asked.

"Grasses," replied Penelope slowly. "They're for Aunt Sophia's bedroom.
I'm going to make her bedroom ever so pretty."

"You little horror!" said Pauline. "If you dare to go against us you will
lead a life!"

Penelope looked calmly up at them.

"I'll make a bargain," she said. "I'll throw them all away, and be
nastier than you all--yes, much nastier--if you will make me a schoolroom
girl."

Pauline looked at her.

"We may be low," she said, "and there is no doubt we are very