ow many weeks since Mr. Norris first
wrote that he was uneasy? About seven, I should say," said Elsa.

"Quite that," said her mother. "It is the waiting that is so trying. I
can do nothing without Great-Uncle Hoot-Toot's advice."

That last sentence had been a familiar one to Mrs. Tudor's children
almost ever since they could remember. "Great-Uncle Hoot-Toot" had been
a sort of autocrat and benefactor in one, to the family. His opinions,
his advice had been asked on all matters of importance; his approval
had been held out to them as the highest reward, his displeasure as the
punishment most to be dreaded. And yet they had never seen him!

"I wish he would come home himself," said Elsa. "I think Geoff would be
much the better for a visit from him," she added, with a slight touch of
sharpness in her tone.

"Poor Geoff!" said her mother. "I suppose the truth is that very few
women know how to manage boys."

"I don't see that," said Elsie. "On the contrary, a generous-natured
boy is often more influenced by a woman's gentleness than by a man's
severity. It is just that, that I don't like about Geoff. There is a
want of generous, chivalrous feeling about him."

"No," said Frances. "I don't quite agree with you. I think it is
there, but somehow not awakened. Mamma," she went on, "supposing our
great-uncle did come home, would he be dreadfully angry if he found out
that we all called him 'Hoot-Toot'?"

"Oh no," said her mother, smiling; "he's quite used to it. Your father
told me he had had the trick nearly all his life of saying 'Hoot-toot,
hoot-toot!' if ever he was perplexed or disapproving."

"What a _very_ funny little boy he must have been!" exclaimed both the
girls together.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER III.

AN UNLOOKED-FOR ARRIVAL.

The next few days were trying ones for all the Tudor family. The mother
was waiting anxiously for further news of the money losses, with which,
as her lawyers told her, she was threatened; the sisters were anxious
too, though, with the bright hopefulness of their age, the troubles
which distressed their mother fell much more lightly on them: _they_
were anxious because they saw _her_ suffering.

Vicky had some misty idea that something was wrong, but she knew very
little, and had been forbidden to say anything to Geoff about the little
she did know. So that of the whole household Geoff was the only one who
knew nothing, and went on living in his Fool'