n; while on the table were bread and butter,
'splits' spread with jam and cream, seed-cakes, currant-cakes, an apple
tart covered with cream, on a plate, and _the_ birthday cake. Oh! how
good it all smelt and looked.

Anna took her seat at the head of the table before the tea-tray, with the
heroine of the day on her right hand and Esther on her left.

"I hope you've all got good appetites," she said, as she handed them their
cups.

"Oh yes," they said meekly, but thought, as they looked at each other, it
was as well Anna did not know how good, and why.

"You look tired, I think," she went on. "You've been out too long,
perhaps; but your tea will refreshen you."

Esther thought if Anna only knew all they had been through since she saw
them last she would not wonder at their looking tired. She did long to
pour out all their adventures to her. She would have been so interested
and sympathetic, and it would have been such a relief to have talked it
all over with some one older than themselves, and thus have thrown off the
fear of a chance word or hint escaping one or the other of them. Once or
twice the tale almost got beyond the tip of her tongue; but she thought of
the curtailed freedom which might follow, so held her peace.

The others were, for a time, completely absorbed by the meal.
Never greater compliment was paid to any feast. Very soon there was not a
dish on the table but what showed gaps. The 'splits' vanished in no time;
the apple tart looked quite shabby. Anna was kept quite busy helping them
to one thing after another. At first she fairly beamed with delight;
but by and by she began to look a little perplexed.

"I suppose it _is_ a long time since you had your lunches," she said
reflectively, "and the air do give one a appetite. P'r'aps you hadn't
better have any more tart, Miss Poppy, dear. Hadn't you better try a bit
of plain bread and butter?" She did not like to say much, but she really
began to grow quite troubled at the size of their appetites.

Before they had finished their tea Ephraim came to the door. He had
tidied for the evening, but had come back with a message for Miss
Charlotte.

"Oh, _do_ ask him in," pleaded Poppy earnestly. "Anna, do. It would seem
so unkind to let him see us having such a _lovely_ tea and not offer him
any."

"I shouldn't think he'd want any," said Anna, with seeming reluctance; but
she called out to him, "Come inside, Ephraim, and close that door.