His quick dressing, his hurried getting downstairs; his father helping him and beseeching him not to make the slightest noise, made it all as mysterious as one of Henty's adventures. The breakfast which his father himself got for him; the quick walk to the station; the hurried good-bye, when he found himself in a first-class carriage in the train, and his father looking proud and confident, all dazzled his young head, and Penelope and her stolen sovereign were as though they had never been. But when Penelope awoke that morning, the very first person she thought of was Jim. She and Annie shared a room together. Annie was not particularly fond of Penelope; she was the least interesting of the Carter girls; she was a little more commonplace and a little more absorbed in herself than her elder sisters. "There is one thing I'm going to ask father," said Annie, as they dressed that morning, "that is after we return from the seaside--if I may have a room to myself. I really can't stand the higgledy-piggledy way you keep your things in, Pen." "Oh, I hate being tidy!" said Pen. "I wonder where Jim is. Jim is a brick of bricks; the dearest, darlingest, nicest fellow in the world." "Oh, my word!" cried Annie, "why is Jim in such high favour? I never heard you go into raptures about him before." "I never found him out until last night," said Penelope. "And you found him out last night? Pray, in what way," said Annie. "Ah, that's a secret," said Pen. "I'm not going to tell you." "If there's a thing in this wide world I'd be deaved to death about, it would be one of your stupid secrets," said Annie. "Why, you're nothing but a child; and as to Jim, I don't believe he has made you his confidante." "Yes, he has, though; yes, he has," said Penelope, and she dashed about the room, making the most of what she thought would tease her sister. "You, indeed!" said Annie, as she brushed out her long hair and put it up in the most fashionable style--"you, with your Nesta and your Flossie Griffiths." "With my what?" said Penelope--"My Flossie?" "Yes, with that common girl. Half of us saw you yesterday, walking with Nesta. Really, it is too bad of her to come on our festive occasions in such a shabby dress." "Well, that has nothing to do with Jim. Now, I'm going down to breakfast," said Pen. But she felt a little nervous as she entered the breakfast room. Jim had given her to understand that he would meet her there, and before the rest of the party came down, he would get her to confide in their father. But Mr Carter, more red than usual in the face, and slightly disturbed in his mind, for he wondered if he had done right to put such confidence in his young son, was sitting alone at the breakfast table. He shouted to Penelope when he saw her. "Come along, Lazybones, and pour out my coffee for me." She obeyed; then she said, looking up and speaking, in spite of herself, a trifle uneasily: "Where's Jim?"