pretty clothes, good fires, a lovely nursery with heaps of toys, and
a Mother Goose wall-paper. They had a kind and merry nursemaid, and
a dog who was called James, and who was their very own. They also
had a Father who was just perfect--never cross, never unjust, and
always ready for a game--at least, if at any time he was NOT ready,
he always had an excellent reason for it, and explained the reason
to the children so interestingly and funnily that they felt sure he
couldn't help himself.

You will think that they ought to have been very happy. And so they
were, but they did not know HOW happy till the pretty life in the
Red Villa was over and done with, and they had to live a very
different life indeed.

The dreadful change came quite suddenly.

Peter had a birthday--his tenth. Among his other presents was a
model engine more perfect than you could ever have dreamed of. The
other presents were full of charm, but the Engine was fuller of
charm than any of the others were.

Its charm lasted in its full perfection for exactly three days.
Then, owing either to Peter's inexperience or Phyllis's good
intentions, which had been rather pressing, or to some other cause,
the Engine suddenly went off with a bang. James was so frightened
that he went out and did not come back all day. All the Noah's Ark
people who were in the tender were broken to bits, but nothing else
was hurt except the poor little engine and the feelings of Peter.
The others said he cried over it--but of course boys of ten do not
cry, however terrible the tragedies may be which darken their lot.