Anthea ran forward and held out her arms.

"Come, then," she said.

The Baby looked at her disapprovingly, and put a sandy pink thumb in his
mouth. Anthea was his favourite sister.

"Come, then," she said.

"G'way 'long!" said the Baby.

"Come to own Pussy," said Jane.

"Wants my Panty," said the Lamb dismally, and his lip trembled.

"Here, come on, Veteran," said Robert, "come and have a yidey on Yobby's
back."

"Yah, narky narky boy," howled the Baby, giving way altogether. Then the
children knew the worst. _The Baby did not know them!_

[Illustration: The baby did not know them!]

They looked at each other in despair, and it was terrible to each, in
this dire emergency, to meet only the beautiful eyes of perfect
strangers, instead of the merry, friendly, commonplace, twinkling, jolly
little eyes of its own brothers and sisters.

"This is most truly awful," said Cyril when he had tried to lift up the