Mysie began an exposition of classic fable to her little sister, while Mrs. Halfpenny explained that this came of Christian folk setting up heathen idols in their houses as ’twas a shame for decent folk to look at, let alone puir bairnies; while Jasper and Gillian gasped in convulsions of laughter, and bandied queries whether their aunt were the statue ‘Pig-my-lion’ had animated, as nothing could be less statuesque than she, whether the reverse had taken place, as Primrose observed, and she had been the Pygmalion to awaken the soul in the man of marble.  Here, however, Mrs. Halfpenny became scandalised at such laughter in the open street; and, perceiving some one in the distance, she carried off Primrose, and enjoined the others to walk on doucely and wiselike.

Gillian was on her way to visit Kalliope and make an appointment for her mother to take her out for a drive; but as they passed the gate at Beechcroft out burst Valetta and Fergus, quite breathless.

’Oh, Gill, Gill!  Mr. White is in the drawing-room, and he has brought Aunt Ada the most beautiful box you ever saw, with all the stoppers made of gold !’

‘And he says I may get all the specimens I like at Rocca Marina,’ shouted Fergus.

‘Ivory brushes, and such a ring—–­sparkling up to the ceiling!’ added Valetta.

‘But, Val, Ferg, whom did you say?’ demanded the elders, coming within the shadow of the copper beeches.

‘Aunt Ada,’ said Valetta; ’there’s a great A engraved on all those dear, lovely bottles, and—–­oh, they smell!’

‘Aunt Ada!  Oh, I thought——­’

‘What did you think, Gill?’ said Aunt Jane, coming from the grass-plat suddenly on them.

‘Oh, Aunt Jane, I am so glad!’ cried Gillian.  ’I thought’—–­and she blushed furiously.

‘They made asses of themselves,’ said Jasper.

‘They said it was you,’ added Mysie.  ‘Miss Mellon told Miss Elbury,’ she added in excuse.

‘Me?  No, I thank you!  So you are glad, Gillian?’

’Oh yes, aunt!  I couldn’t have borne for you to do anything—–­queer’- —­and there was a look in Gillian’s face that went to Jane’s heart, and under other circumstances would have produced a kiss, but she rallied to her line of defence.

’My dear, you must not call this queer.  Mr. White is very much attached to your aunt Ada, and I think he will make her very happy, and give her great opportunities of doing good.’

‘That’s just what Gillian said when she was afraid it was you,’ said Mysie.  ‘I suppose that’s it?  And that makes it real right.’

‘And the golden stoppers!’ said Valetta innocently, but almost choking Jasper with laughter, which must be suppressed before his aunt.

‘May one know it now?’ asked Gillian, sensible of the perilous ground.

’Yes, my dears; you must have been on tenter-hooks all this time, for, of course, you saw there was a crisis, and you behaved much better than I should have done at your age; but it was only a fait accompli this very day, and we couldn’t tell you before.’