in bed, with the firelight still flickering on the little hearth in my
old room, she came in, in some kind of a loose, rosy sort of silk
thing, and her long black hair in two braids, and stooped down and
kissed me, and patted my shoulder, and went out again without saying a
word.... Maybe I didn't turn over then for a minute, and bury my head
in my pillow and have it out a bit. But that didn't count, because
nobody saw.

Next morning was just the same; and we had the greatest sort of a
breakfast--everything tasting bully, the way it does at home, you
know. Then I went down to the office with Dad, and saw the boys, who
all came round and gave me the glad hand, and wished me luck.
Everybody I met on the street wished me that, except an old lady or
two, who sighed over me--but I didn't mind them, they just made me
want to laugh. Then home, and lunch, with Mother looking ripping in
the jolliest sort of a frock. And we had lots of fun over a letter
she'd had from some inquiring idiot, who wanted to know a lot of
things she couldn't tell him; and she asked our advice, and of course
we gave it, in chunks. In the afternoon she and I took another spin
and, as I'd quite ceased to fear I couldn't see it through, it went
off mighty well.

I was a little owly about dinner, though, because soon afterward it
would be train time. But I needn't have been. My family certainly is
the gamest crowd I ever saw. Even Grandfather, who takes things rather
seriously as a rule, told a couple of corking stories, and Grandmother
laughed at them in a perfectly natural way, though I couldn't help
suspecting her of bluffing. Of course, when it came to that, I knew
they were all bluffing. But I tell you, a fellow wants a bluff at a
time like that, and he isn't going to misunderstand it, either--not