cab, and the G. B. put us in and shook hands with us all, and asked Alice to give him a kiss, so she did, and H. O. would do it too, though his face was dirtier than ever. The G. B. paid the cabman and told him what station to go to, and so we went home.
That evening Father had a letter by the seven o'clock post. And when he had read it he came up into the nursery. He did not look quite so unhappy as usual, but he looked grave.
"You've been to Mr. Rosenbaum's," he said.
So we told him all about it. It took a long time, and Father sat in the armchair. It was jolly. He doesn't often come and talk to us now. He has to spend all his time thinking about his business. And when we'd told him all about it he said—
"You haven't done any harm this time, children; rather good than harm, indeed. Mr. Rosenbaum has written me a very kind letter."
"Is he a friend of yours, Father?" Oswald asked.
"He is an acquaintance," said my father, frowning a little, "we have done some business together. And this letter" he stopped and then said: "No; you didn't do any harm to-day; but I want you for the future not to do anything so serious as to try to buy a
