present, "Peter's ghost won't come here. It doesn't belong to 'grand,'
or to any of us. Its name was Melcombe, and it came from the sea, that
they might know it was dead." John and Brandon looked at one another.
The information was far too circumstantial to be forgotten by the
children, who continued their confidences now without any more
irreverent interruptions. "Mrs. Melcombe gave Peter four half-crowns to
give to nurse, and he had to say 'Thank you, nurse, for your kindness to
me;' but nurse wasn't kind, she didn't like Peter, and she slapped him
several times."

"And Mrs. Melcombe gave some more shillings to Maria," said Bertie.

"Like the garden slug," observed Brandon, "leaving a trail of silver
behind her."

The said Maria, who was their little nursemaid, now came in to fetch
away the children.

"Isn't this provoking," exclaimed John Mortimer, when they were gone. "I
had no notion that child had been neglected and left to pick up these
pernicious superstitions, though I never liked his mother from the first
moment I set my eyes on her."

"Why did you ask her to stay at your house then?" said Brandon,
laughing.

"Giles, you know as well as I do."

Thereupon, having finished their breakfast, they set forth to walk to
the town, arguing together on some subject that interested them till