Part 4 (2/2)

Bob had a sister as about the twins' age, and Nesta's only friend

”It looks just like Bob's driving,” said Eustace

Then they waited with eager faces, too excited to speak, till suddenly they all cried at once,--

”It is Bob--it is--it is--it is!”

Mr and Mrs Orban ca behind

”There is no doubt about it,” said Mr Orban as he watched the jolting, bu up the terribly steep hill that was alh they were

”How strange of hi, as he is alone,” said Mrs Orban

”Yes,” chi Bob always--always rides, excepting--”

She paused to think whether she had ever seen Bob driving before, and Eustace finished her sentence for her

”Excepting when he doesn't,” he said

”Goose,” said Nesta tartly

”Or, ander,'” said Mr Orban ”Well, we needn't squeeze our heads to a pulp trying to guess e shall learn frohtest trouble in another twenty minutes at reeted with such a chorus of yells that not a single word could he hear of what the children were trying to say He grinned back good-hu up his horses, caathered theof the noise

”What have you come for, Bob?” shouted the three

”What have I coh which had a way of setting every one else off laughing too as a rule ”Well, upon reet a chap I had better be off again”

He was big, fair-haired, and gray-eyed, not handsome, but far too manly for that to matter As Manuel the Manila boy ran round the house to take charge of the horses, Bob got down fro up the veranda steps in contradiction of his oords He was surrounded at the top by the children, all talking at once

Without an atte, he picked up Becky, who adored him with the rest, and passed on to Mr and Mrs Orban

”I apologize for the disorder,” Mr Orban said, ”but they have been working themselves up into a fever of expectation ever since they first heard the buggy wheels Seriously though, I hope nothing is wrong at home Your mother isn't ill, is she? You haven't co?”

Such friendly acts as these were the common courtesies of their sihed now

”Oh, nothing wrong at all,” he replied ”Mater is right enough; it is only Trix who is the trouble now She doesn't seem to pick up after that last bout of fever, and she is so awfully depressed and lonely, ht if you would let me take a couple of the children--Nesta and another--back with hten the kiddy up Could you spare thean Mrs Orban readily, when Nesta started a sort of war-dance with accoht

”When you have quite done!” said Bob, with a solemn stare that quelled the disturbance after a et home, at this rate Well, who is the other one to be? You, Eustace?”

Eustace coloured deeply There was nothing he would have liked better To go to the Highlands, as the Cochranes' plantation was called, was the greatest pleasure that could have been offered him--the treat had only come his way about twice in his life Itrambles alith his hero

”I should like to awfully,” he said, and stopped, looking beseechingly at his father