afraid of. He gave Dicky the money. And
the boy was made to call a cab, and the G. B. put us in and shook hands
with us all, and asked Alice to give him a kiss, so she did, and H. O.
would do it too, though his face was dirtier than ever. The G. B. paid
the cabman and told him what station to go to, and so we went home.

That evening Father had a letter by the seven-o'clock post. And when
he had read it he came up into the nursery. He did not look quite so
unhappy as usual, but he looked grave.

'You've been to Mr Rosenbaum's,' he said.

So we told him all about it. It took a long time, and Father sat in the
armchair. It was jolly. He doesn't often come and talk to us now. He has
to spend all his time thinking about his business. And when we'd told
him all about it he said--

'You haven't done any harm this time, children; rather good than harm,
indeed. Mr Rosenbaum has written me a very kind letter.'

'Is he a friend of yours, Father?' Oswald asked. 'He is an
acquaintance,' said my father, frowning a little, 'we have done some
business together. And this letter--' he stopped and then said: 'No;
you didn't do any harm to-day; but I want you for the future not to do
anything so serious as to try to buy a partnership without consulting
me, that's all. I don't want to interfere with your plays and pleasures;
but you will consult me about business matters, won't you?'

Of course we said we should be delighted, but then Alice, who was
sitting on his knee, said, 'We didn't like to bother you.'

Father said, 'I haven't much time to be with you, for my business takes
most of my time. It is an anxious business--but I can't bear to think of
your being left all alone like this.'

He looked so sad we all said we liked being alone. And then he looked
sadder than ever.

Then Alice said, 'We don't mean that exactly, Father. It is rather
lonely sometimes, since Mother died.'

Then we were all quiet a little while. Father stayed with us till we
went to bed, and when he said good night he looked quite cheerful. So we
told him so, and he said--

'Well, the fact is, that letter took a weight off my mind.' I can't
think what he meant--but I am sure the G. B. would be pleased if he
could know he had taken a weight off somebody's mind. He is that sort of
man, I think.

We gave the scent to Dora. It is not quite such good scent as we thought
it would be, but we had fifteen shillings--and they were all good, so is
the G. B.

An