Come, Mabel. Let's fly to meet the dear old boy."

She was off and away herself before Mabel had time to scramble to her
feet. Her running was swift as a fawn's--in an instant she had reached
her brother--threw herself panting with laughter and joy against him,
and flung one arm round his neck.

"Here you are!" she said, her words coming out in gasps. "Isn't it
jolly? Such a fresh old place! Lots of strawberries--glad you'll see it
in the long days--give me a kiss, Loftie--I'm hungry for a kiss!"

"You're as wild an imp as ever," said Loftus, pinching her cheek, but
stooping and kissing her, nevertheless, with decided affection. "Why did
you put yourself out of breath, Kitty? Catch May setting her precious
little heart a-beating too fast for any fellow! Ah, here you come, lazy
Mabel. Where is the mater? In the house, I suppose? I say, Kate, what a
hole you have pitched upon for living in? I positively couldn't ride
down upon the thing they offered me at the station. It wasn't even
_clean_. Look at it, my dear girls! It holds my respectable
belongings, and not me. It's the scarecrow or ghost of the ordinary
station-fly. Could you have imagined the station-fly could have a
ghost?"

"No," retorted Mabel, "being so scarecrowy and ghost-like already.
Please, driver, take Captain Bertram's things up to the house. He heard
you speak, Loftie. These Northbury people are as touchy as if they were
somebodies. Oh, Loftus, you will be disappointed. Mother has gone to
Manchester."

"To Manchester?" retorted Loftus. "My mother away from home! Did she