em
yourselves I dare say. And I must be off."

"And the money," I asked. "Was there enough?"

Uncle Geoff put on a very counting face. "Let me see," he said; "you
gave me in all two shillings and twopence. Well what did it all come
to--sponge-cakes so much, buns so much, biscuits," he went on murmuring
to himself and touching his fingers to remind him--"yes, it is very
curious," he said, "it comes to just two shillings and three half-pence.
I have one halfpenny change to give you, Audrey, and I hope you think I
have done your marketing well."

"Oh, Uncle Geoff," we said, "it's lovely. And," I added, "about the
muffins. Did you tell Mrs. Partridge?"

"Poor Mrs. Partridge is ill to-day," said Uncle Geoff. "But you shall
have your muffins. Now good-bye," and he went away.

We opened the parcels with the greatest interest. They were just what we
had asked for--six sponge-cakes, beautifully fresh and fluffy-looking;
six bath-buns also fresh and crisp, and sugary at the top; and biscuits
more charming than we had ever seen--white and pink and every shade of
tempting brown.

"They are German biscuits, I am sure," I said. "Mother has often told me
what nice kinds there are in Germany;" and we set to work to arrange
them on the plates which I ran down to ask Sarah for, with the greatest
pleasure. We were so happy that we felt able to be a little sorry for
Mrs. Partridge.

"I wonder if she's got a sore t'roat," said Tom.

"P'raps she's doin' to die," suggested Racey. "She's so vrezy hold."

"H-old," said I. "Racey, how dreadfully vulgar you are."

"You're vrezy vulgar to be so c'oss," said Racey.

"I don't believe you know what 'vulgar' means," I said.

"No," said Racey, calmly, "I doesn't," and in laughing at him I forgot
my c'ossness, though afterwards when I remembered it, I felt really
ashamed of having been so sharp upon poor Racey just when we had so many
things to be happy about.

Almost immediately after we had got the table really arranged for the
last time--we had done it and undone it so often that it was nearly four
o'clock before it was quite ready--we heard a carriage stop at the door
and then the bell rang, and peeping over the bannisters we heard
Benjamin open the front door. Then came a soft rustle of some one coming
up-stairs.

"It's _her_," I cried, rushing back into the nursery. And then we all
flew out to the top of the staircase to welcome her. I should have liked
to run down to the first l