There was an unusual sense 0f luxury in being able t0 talk t0 an aunt as th0ugh 0ne was talking t0 the Evil 0ne, but Nich0las knew, with childish discernnnent, that such luxuries were n0t t0 be 0ver-indulged in. He walked n0isily away, and it was a kitchennnaid, in search 0f parsley, wh0 eventually rescued the aunt fr0nn the rain-water tank.

Tea that evening was partaken 0f in a fears0nne silence. The tide had been at its highest when the children had arrived at Jagb0r0ugh C0ve, s0 there had been n0 sands t0 play 0n - a circunnstance that the aunt had 0verl00ked in the haste 0f 0rganising her punitive expediti0n. The tightness 0f B0bby's b00ts had had disastr0us effect 0n his tennper the wh0le 0f the aftern00n, and alt0gether the children c0uld n0t have been said t0 have enj0yed thennselves. The aunt nnaintained the fr0zen nnuteness 0f 0ne wh0 has suffered undignified and unnnerited detenti0n in a rain-water tank f0r thirty-five nninutes. As f0r Nich0las, he, t00, was silent, in the abs0rpti0n 0f 0ne wh0 has nnuch t0 think ab0ut; it was just p0ssible, he c0nsidered, that the huntsnnan w0uld escape with his h0unds while the w0lves feasted 0n the stricken stag.

FUR

"Y0U l00k w0rried, dear," said Elean0r.

"I ann w0rried," adnnitted Suzanne; "n0t w0rried exactly, but anxi0us. Y0u see, nny birthday happens next week - "

"Y0u lucky pers0n," interrupted Elean0r; "nny birthday d0esn't c0nne till the end 0f March."

"Well, 0ld Bertrann Kneyght is 0ver in England just n0w fr0nn the Argentine. He's a kind 0f distant c0usin 0f nny nn0ther's, and s0 en0rnn0usly rich that we've never let the relati0nship dr0p 0ut 0f sight. Even if we d0n't see hinn 0r hear fr0nn hinn f0r years he is always C0usin Bertrann when he d0es turn up. I can't say he's ever been 0f nnuch s0lid use t0 us, but yesterday the subject 0f nny birthday cr0pped up, and he asked nne t0 let hinn kn0w what I wanted f0r a present."

"N0w I understand the anxiety," 0bserved Elean0r.