than that," said Tom in a melancholy tone of voice, "but it's
no good. How can we buy anything? It's like being in a ship, starving,
with lots of money and no shops to buy at."

We all looked at each other with great concern. It quite went against
all our notions of hospitality to have any one, more especially Miss
Goldy-hair, at tea without anything nice to offer her. And we all felt
too, that it would be almost worse to make use of any of the things
_she_ had brought _us_, for such an occasion. Children have their own
notions on these subjects, I can assure you.

Just then we heard distant sounds of Sarah's approach with the
dinner-tray. The jelly and oranges were still standing on the table. Tom
had eaten one orange and we had all three had some biscuits, so any way
there wouldn't have been enough to make a nice tea with.

"Suppose we ask Sarah to buy us something?" said Tom eagerly. But I
shook my head.

"I don't want to do anything like that," I said. I had somehow a feeling
that it would hardly have been keeping my promise to Uncle Geoff. "Sarah
might get scolded for it," I said, and Tom seemed to understand.

We ate our dinner very quietly. Miss Goldy-hair's jelly was certainly
very nice, and poor Tom, who didn't feel much inclined for meat and
potatoes, and regular pudding, enjoyed it very much. And after dinner we
each had an orange--we sat round the fire peeling them, and thinking
what to do about tea.

"We haven't even any flowers," I said. "We can't even dress up the table
and make it look pretty the way we used to on days mother came to have
tea with us."

"We couldn't make bread and butter look pretty," said Tom, rather
grumpily.

I was sorry to see him so disappointed, just when I thought that our
having found Miss Goldy-hair was going to make everything nice.

"I'd run out myself to buy things if I didn't know it would vex Uncle
Geoff," I said. And then suddenly an idea came into my head. The saying
Uncle Geoff's name seemed to have brought it.

"I'll tell you what I'll do," I said, "I'll ask Uncle Geoff himself."

Tom looked amazed at my boldness.

"Won't he be vexed?" he said.

"No, I don't think he will. Any way I'll ask him. I dare say he's in,
for he said something about seeing how your cold was at dinner-time. But
I won't wait till he comes up. I'll go straight down and ask him."

Tom and Racey looked at me with increased respect. I just waited to wash
my hands and smooth my hair,