ds had once more become the fashion where before had been only
grumbling discontent, with now and then a muttered, "Beastly rotten day,
what?"

"Oh, what a dif-fer-ence!" cried Lucile, surveying the scene with
delight. "I'd begun to be rather disgusted with London this morning,
everything looked so dreary and forlorn. I wonder what can be keeping Dad
and Mother," she added, turning to the hotel entrance, while her foot
tapped impatiently. "They said they'd be with us right away--oh, here
they are! Speaking of angels----"

"And they're sure to turn up," said Phil, producing himself with
startling suddenness from nowhere. "Bet you can't guess where I've
been."

"Why work when you don't have to?" philosophized Jessie. "If we don't
care where you've been, why bother to guess?"

"All right; I won't let you in on the secret now, but when you do find
out about it, you'll wish you had been more civil," Phil prophesied,
darkly.

"Here is the car; come down, all of you," commanded Mr. Payton; and, all
else forgotten, they very willingly obeyed.

The machine was a big touring car, hired especially for the occasion, and
the girls thrilled at the thought of seeing London in this fashion. In
they tumbled joyfully, the big tonneau just accommodating five, while Mr.
Payton took his place beside the driver.

"Where to, sir?" asked the latter.

"Oh, all around," said Mr. Payton, with a wave of his hand. "You know the
points of interest better than I do. Only, of course, the young folks
must stop for a long look at Westminster Abbey on the way back."

"All right, sir," said the man, with an understanding grin, and added,
"For the whole afternoon?"

"Yes," said Mr. Payton.

With that the chauffeur threw in the clutch and the big machine whizzed
away through the crowded traffic bearing a very happy cargo.

The girls never forgot that afternoon. Impressions crowded so thick and
fast upon them they had all they could do to gather them in, and Lucile
more than once exclaimed, "Oh, I must come here some day when I have lots
of time and just stand and look and look and look!"

The last time she had made this remark was when they were proceeding
slowly through the crowded traffic of London Bridge.

"Do you remember what Mark Twain said about people in olden times being
born on the bridge, living on it all their lives, and finally dying on
it, without having been in any other part of the world?" said Phil,
looking about him with