"All right," chimed in Alicia, "we'll go there in the morning, then.
But to-morrow is Wednesday, and I want to go to a matinee in the
afternoon. Can't we, Uncle Jeff?"

"Of course you can. Tell Fenn, he'll see about tickets for you. Just
tell Mrs. Berry to see Fenn about it."

"Oh," sighed the outspoken Dotty, "it is just like Fairyland! Tell
Fenn! Just as if Fenn were a magician!"

"He is," said Mr. Forbes, smiling at her enthusiasm. "I couldn't keep
house without Fenn. He's my right hand man for everything. You girls
mustn't claim too much of his time and attention, for I keep him on
the jump most of the time myself."

"Does your collection keep you so busy?" asked Dolly, whose secret
longing was to see that same collection, which greatly interested her.

"Yes, indeed. There's always work to be done in connection with it.
I've a lot of new specimens just arrived to-day, awaiting
classification and tabulation."

After dinner they all returned to the drawing-room. Mr. Forbes seemed
desirous of keeping up a general conversation, but it was hard to find
a subject to interest him. He would talk a few moments, and then lapse
into absent-mindedness and almost forget the girls' presence.

At times, he would get up from his chair, and stalk up and down the
room, perhaps suddenly pausing in front of one of them, and asking a
direct question.