'Yes, Uncle Maurice has answered my letter very kindly.'

'I should think he would be very much obliged,' observed the boy.

'Please, mamma, do tell us all about it,' said the girl. 'You know I
stopped directly when you made me a sign not to go on asking questions
before the little ones. And you said you should have to make us your
friends while papa and the grown-ups are away.'

'Well, Gillian, I know you can be discreet when you are warned, and
perhaps it is best that you should know how things stand. Do you
remember anything about it, Hal?'

'Only a general perception that there were tempests in the higher
regions, but I think that was more from hearing Alley and Phyl talk
than from my native sagacity.'

'So I should suppose, since you were only six years old, at the
utmost.'

'But Uncle Maurice always was under a cloud, wasn't he, especially at
Beechcroft, where I never saw him or his wife in the holidays except
once, when I believe she was not at all liked, and was thought to be
very proud, and stuck-up, and pretentious.'

'But was she just nobody? not a lady?' cried Gillian. 'Aunt Emily
always called her, '"Poor thing."'

'Perhaps she did the same by Aunt Emily,' returned Hal.