Mr. Delaney happened to glance at a clock which stood on the
mantelpiece exactly facing the big bed.

"I read on the face of that clock," he said, "that the hour is
half-past five. Now, what have you four little children to do, sitting
on my bed at half-past five in the morning?"

When Mr. Delaney said this he shook himself slightly and upset Diana's
balance, and made Orion choke with silent laughter. Iris and Apollo
gazed at him gravely.

"We all made up our minds to do it," said Iris. "We have come to ask
you to make a promise, father."

"A promise, my dear children! But you might have waited until the
usual hour for getting up. What are you going to wring from me at this
inclement moment?"

"I don't exactly know what inclement moment means," said Iris, "but I
do know, and so does Apollo--"

"And so do I know all about it," shouted Diana. "You see, father,"
continued the little girl, who spoke rather more than any of the other
children, "we has to think of the poor innocents, and the birds and
the mice, and the green frogs, and our puppy, and our pug dog, and
our--and our--" Here she fairly stammered in her excitement.

"Has a sudden illness attacked that large family?" said Mr. Delaney.
"Please, children, explain yourselves, for if you are not sleepy, I