hem happy. We'll begin to-day and see if we can't
manage to understand each other better," said Uncle Geoff, cheerfully.
"_To-day_ you will be happy any way, I think, for I have got an
invitation for you. You know whom it's from?"

"Yes," said Tom and I together. Tom, who had been lying quite still in
my arms all this time listening half sleepily, started up in excitement.
"Yes," we said, "it's from Miss Goldy-hair."

"Miss--how much?" said Uncle Geoff.

We couldn't help laughing.

"We called her that because we didn't know her name, and her hair was so
pretty," we said.

Uncle Geoff laughed too.

"It's rather a nice name, I think," he said. "What funny creatures
children are! I must set to work to understand them better. Well, yes,
you're quite right. Miss Goldy-hair wants you all three to go and spend
all the day with her. But what's the matter with Tom?" he went on. "Have
you a headache, my boy?" for Tom had let his head drop down again on my
shoulder.

"Yes," said Tom, "and a sore t'roat, Uncle Geoff." Uncle Geoff looked
rather grave at this.

"Let's have a look at you, my boy," he said.

He lifted Tom up in his arms and carried him to the window and examined
his throat.

"He must have caught cold," he said. "It isn't very bad so far, but I'm
afraid--I'm very much afraid he mustn't go out to-day."

He--Uncle Geoff--looked at me as if he were wondering how I would take
this.

"Oh, poor Tom!" I cried. "Oh, Uncle Geoff, it was all my fault for
letting him go out last night. Oh, Uncle Geoff, do forgive me. I'll be
so good, and I'll try to amuse poor Tom and make him happy all day."

"Then you don't want to go without him?" said Uncle Geoff.

"Oh, _of course_ not," I replied. "Of course I'd not leave Tom when he's
ill, and when it was my fault too. Oh, Uncle Geoff, you don't think he's
going to be very ill, do you?"

Tom looked up very pathetically.

"Don't cry, poor Audrey," he said. "My t'roat isn't so vrezy bad."

Uncle Geoff was very kind.

"No," he said. "I don't think it'll be very bad. But you must take great
care of him, Audrey. And I don't know how to do. I don't like your being
left so much alone, and yet there's no one in the house fit to take
care of you."

"Hasn't Mrs. Partridge got a new nurse for us?" I asked.

"No," said Uncle Geoff, smiling a little. "She hasn't found one yet."

There came a sort of squeal from the corner of the room. We all started.
It was Racey. He was playi