at part of the business, for it was jolly cold getting out
of bed and standing by that open window. It isn't good enough in this
weather;" and Barney doubled himself up in another burst of laughter at
the success of his plot.

For once nobody joined in the chorus; the girls were dumb and horrified,
while Stephen was filled with righteous indignation.

"Stop laughing this moment, sir," he cried sternly. "You have done
mischief enough; don't make it worse by triumphing over it. If you have
not enough consideration for your sisters to teach you how to behave, I
must find some other way of keeping you in order. I won't have the
peace of the house ruined and Philippa worried to death."

"Leave him to me, please, Steve," said Philippa quietly. She walked
forward until she stood immediately before Barney, and the smile faded
from the boy's lips as he saw her face. She was not flushed as he had
often seen her under the stress of passing irritation, but white--deadly
white--with a look in her eyes before which his own fell to the ground.

"You have made me tell a lie," she said slowly. "Do you hear? I gave
Mr Neil my word that we had had no part in these annoyances. He did not
want to believe me, but I made him; I gave him my word. I will not wait
a minute before going to him and apologising for saying what was not
true. Get up! Come downstairs with me. You shall tell him the whole
story as you have told it to us, and ask his pardon like a gentleman.
Are you coming?"

Barney scowled and looked at her darkly; he opened his lips to say that
he would do nothing of the kind, but Philippa looked at him again, and
the words died away. She walked to the door, and he marched after her;
she held it open, and he passed through. They stood together before the
Hermit's door, and Philippa pressed her fingers on the bell.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

REHEARSALS.

Half-an-hour passed by, fraught with the deepest suspense and anxiety to
the waiting party in Number 10; then Philippa's step was heard running
up the stairs, and in she came, white no longer, but smiling, rosy,
abeam with complacency.

"Where is Barney?" cried four voices eagerly; and she seated herself
before the fire, crossed her hands on her lap, and regarded her audience
with the prospective satisfaction of one who knows that she is about to
make a sensation.

"Barney," she said slowly, "is enjoying himself so much that he refused
to come away! He is invi