"Oh, thank heaven, the good God, and all the saints, for I think they must have interceded. They must be glad when dreadful wars come to an end." She laid her head back on the pillow and the tears fringed her dark lashes. The child was thinking, puzzling over something. Then she said suddenly, "What is my father like? I seem to remember just a little--that he carried me about in his arms and that we all cried a good deal." "It was three years and more ago. He loved us very much. But he felt the country needed him. And the good Allfather has kept him safe. He has never been wounded or taken prisoner, and if he comes back to us----" "But what is surrendered?" "Why, the British army has given up. And Lord Cornwallis is a great man. England, I believe, thought he could conquer the Colonies. Oh, Daffodil, you are too little to understand;" in a sort of helpless fashion. "He isn't like grandad then. Grandad wants England to beat." "No, he isn't much like grandad. And yet dear grandad has been very good to us. Of course he was desperately angry that your father should go for a soldier. Oh, if he comes home safe!" "Dilly," said gran'mere, pausing at the door with a piece of yellow pumpkin in her hand which she was peeling, "you must come away now. You have talked enough to your mother and she must rest." The child slipped down and kissed the pale cheek again, then came out in the living-room and looked around. The cat sat washing her face and at every dab the paw went nearer her ear. "You shan't, Judy! We don't want rain, do we, grandfather?" She caught up the cat in her arms, but not before pussy had washed over one ear. Grandfather laughed. "Well, it _does_ make it rain when she washes over her ear," the little girl said with a very positive air. "It did on Sunday." "And I guess pussy washes over her ear every day in the week." "It's saved up then for the big storms;" with a triumphant air. "Get the board and let's have a game. You're so smart I feel it in my bones that you will beat." She put Judy down very gently, but the cat switched her tail around and wondered why. She brought out the board that was marked like "Tit tat toe," and a box that she rattled laughingly. Pussy came when they had adjusted it on their knees and put two white paws on it, preparatory to a jump. "Oh, Judy, I can't have you now. Come round and sit by the fire." Judy went round to the back of Dilly's chair and washed over both ears in a very indignant manner. The play was Fox and Geese. There was one red grain of corn for the fox and all the geese were white. One block at the side was left vacant. If you could pen the fox in there without losing a goose or at the most two or three, you were the winner. But if once you let the fox out the geese had to fly for their lives. Grandfather often let the little girl beat.