“Who do you think is going abroad with us?” asked Mr. King suddenly, as they all sat in the library for a last evening talk; “guess quickly.”

“Who?” cried several voices.

“Why, I thought you didn’t want any outsiders, father,” exclaimed Jasper in surprise.

“Well, and I didn’t when I said so, but circumstances are changed now—­ come, guess quickly, some one?”

“The Cabots,” said Jasper at a venture.

“No, no; guess again.”

“Mr. Alstyne?”

“No; again.”

“The Bayleys, the Dyces, the Herrings,” shouted Mr. Whitney and Van and Joel.

“No, I know,” broke in Percy, “it’s Mrs. Chatterton,” with a quick glance to make sure that she was not in the room.

“No!” thundered Mr. King.  “Oh! how stupid people can be when they want to.  Two persons are to meet us in New York to-morrow.  I didn’t tell you till I was sure; I had no desire that you should be disappointed.  Now guess again.”

“Auntie, do you know?” asked Polly suddenly, leaning back, as she sat on the rug in front of the fire, to lay her head in Mrs. Whitney’s lap.

“No, I’m sure I don’t,” said Mrs. Whitney, stroking lightly the brown hair, with a pang to think how long it would be before she should caress it again.

“How any one can desire to cross the ocean,” remarked Mr. Whitney, folding his hands back of his head and regarding meditatively the glowing fire, “is more than I can see.  That I never shall do it again unless whipped over, I’m morally certain.”

“Are the persons men?” asked Ben suddenly.

“One is,” replied Mr. King.

“And the other is a woman?”

“The other is a woman,” said Mr. King.  “Well, what are their names?  Isn’t anybody smart enough to guess them?  Dear me, I’ve always said that the Peppers were remarkably bright, and the rest of you children are not behind other young people.  Go on, try again.  Now who are they?”

Polly took her head out of Mrs. Whitney’s lap, and rested her chin in her hands, Davie walked up and down the room, while Ben and the two Whitney boys hung over Mother Fisher’s chair.

“Dear me!” fumed Joel.  “Who ever could guess.  There’s such a lot or people in the world that Grandpapa knows.  It might be any two of them that he had asked.”

Little Dr. Fisher’s eyes roved from one to the other of the group.  “I couldn’t begin to guess because I don’t know many of your friends,” he said quietly.

“You know these two people very well,” said Mr. King, laughing, to see the little man’s face.

“Now I think I know,” said Jasper slowly, a light coming into his gray eyes, “but I don’t suppose it’s fair to guess, for I saw the address on a letter father was writing two or three weeks ago.”

“You did, you young scamp, you!” cried Mr. King, turning on him.  “Well, then, ’tisn’t a guess for you, Jasper.  Keep still, my boy, and let them work away at it.  Will no one guess?”