The old gentleman fumed and fretted, however, in a subdued fashion; at last wisely turning his back, he began to stalk down the platform, under pretense of examining the landscape.

“Your friends will stay with us,” Mrs. Henderson was saying in a gently decisive manner, “the old parsonage is big enough,” she added with a laugh.

“Oh! you are so good and thoughtful, dear Mrs. Henderson,” cried Mrs. Pepper with delight at the thought of the homelike warmth of the parsonage life awaiting the old gentleman, for whom she was dreading the dreary hotel.

“I’m good to ourselves,” declared the parson’s wife gaily.

Jasper gave a shout when the new arrangement was declared, as it presently was by Percy and Van, who flung themselves after him as he was seeing to the luggage with Ben, and his face glowed with the greatest satisfaction.

“That is jolly,” he exclaimed, “and that’s a fact!  Now, Ben, we’re but a stone’s throw apart.  Rather different, isn’t it, old fellow, from the time when I used to race over from Hingham with Prince at my heels?”

Dr. Fisher’s little thin, wiry figure was now seen advancing upon the central group, and everybody fell away to let him have his chance to welcome the Peppers.

“I couldn’t get here before,” he cried, his eyes glowing behind his spectacles.  “I’ve left a very sick patient.  This is good,” he took them all in with a loving glance, but his hand held to Polly.  “Now I’m going to drive you down in my gig,” he said to her at last.  “Will you come?”

“Yes, indeed,” cried Polly in delight, as her mother smiled approval, and she ran off to let him help her in.  “It’s only yesterday since you took me to drive, Dr. Fisher, and you gave me my stove—­is it?” And so she rambled on, the little doctor quite charmed to hear it all.

But Mr. Tisbett had a truly dreadful time placing his party in the old stage, as the townsfolk, fearful that so good a chance for seeing the Peppers would not happen during the three days’ stay, insisted on crowding up close to the ancient vehicle, and getting in everybody’s way, thereby calling forth some exclamations from Mr. King that could not be regarded as exactly complimentary.  And quite sure that he was a frightful tyrant, they fell back with many a pitying glance at the Pepper family whom he was endeavoring to assist into their places.

At last it was all accomplished in some way, and Mr. Tisbett cracked his whip, Mrs. Pepper and Phronsie leaned out of the window to bow right and left into smiling faces, Ben and Davie did the same over their heads.

“Good-by,” sang out Joel, whom the stage driver had taken up beside him.  “Here we are, off for the little brown house.  G’lang!”

VII

OLD TIMES AGAIN

Don’t let me look—­oh! don’t let me look,” cried Polly in the old gig, and twisting around, she hid her face against the faded green cloth side.  “I ought not to see the little brown house before Mamsie and the others do.”