glad to give it them."

His boldness quite took away his sister's breath, and she looked up at
him in astonishment.

"_Bruvver!_" she said reproachfully.

"Well, there's nothing naughty in that. It would be much better than
letting it all be wasted. And----" but just at that moment came a queer
little sound at the door, which made Duke tumble off his high chair as
fast as he could, and hurry to open it.

"It's Toby," he cried.

Toby, sure enough, it was--Toby with his little black nose and bright
eyes gleaming from behind the overhanging shaggy hair, that no one _but_
a Toby could have seen through without squinting--Toby, rather subdued
and meekly inquiring at first, as if not quite sure of his welcome,
till--a glance round the room satisfying him that there was no one to
dread, no one but his two dearly-beloved friends--his courage returned,
and he rushed towards them with short yelps of delight, twisting about
his furry little body, and wagging his queer short feathery tail, till
one could not tell what was what of him, and almost expected to see him
shake himself into bits!

"Toby, dear Toby!" cried the children, all their perplexities forgotten
for the moment. "_How_ clever of him--isn't it?--to come to see us this
morning, just as if he knew us was alone. Dear Toby--but hush! don't
make a noise, Toby, or Nurse may be vexed--are you so pleased to see us,
Toby?"