obliged to shelter in the barn. Harriet,
however, appeared finally. She--er--gets the men's breakfasts,
and--er--the kitchen-window--" But here Uncle James was seized with a
sudden fit of sneezing, and the connection between the men's
breakfasts and the kitchen-window was never explained. "She is an
extremely good girl, is Harriet," he proceeded as soon as he could
speak; "up at four o'clock every morning."

"I wish to goodness _my_ trollop was," said Lady Benyon. "She gets
later every day. Where did you go last night?"

"Oh--I had been loitering among the tombs, so to speak," he answered
largely.

Beth was eating cold beef stolidly, but without much appetite because
of her cold, and also because there was hot chicken, and Uncle James
had not given her her choice. Uncle James kept looking at her. He
found it hard to let her alone, but she gave him no cause of offence
for some time. Her little nose was troublesome, however, and at last
she sniffed. Uncle James looked at Lady Benyon.

"Have you observed," he said, "that when a child has a cold she never
has a pocket-handkerchief?"

Beth produced a clean one with a flourish, and burst out laughing.

"What's the matter, Puck?" Lady Benyon asked, beaming already in
anticipation.

"Oh, nothing. Only I said Uncle James would say that if I sniffed.
Didn't I, Mildred?"

But Mildred, too wary to support her, looked down demurely.

"Puck," said Lady Benyon, "you're a character."

"There are good characters and there are bad characters," Uncle James
moralised.

"Arrah, thin, it isn't a bad character you'd be afther givin' your own
niece," Beth blarneyed; and then she turned up her naughty eyes to the
ceiling and chanted softly: "What will Jimmie-wimmie give his
duckie-dearie to be good? A nice--sweet--kiss!"

Uncle James's big white face became suddenly empurpled.

"Gracious! he's swallowed wrong," Lady Benyon exclaimed in alarm.
"Drink something. You really should be careful, a great fat man like
you."

Uncle James coughed hard behind his handkerchief, then began to
recover himself. Beth's eyes were fixed on his face. Her chaunt had
been a sudden inspiration, and its effect upon the huge man had
somewhat startled her; but clearly Uncle James was afraid she was
going to tell.

"How funny!" she ejaculated.

Uncle James gasped again.

"What _is_ the matter, Puck?" Lady Benyon asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking--thinking I would ask Uncle James to give
Mildred