"No," said Justin sharply, "I am not going to have her here. You have quite enough to do with running the house and looking after the children, without having an invalid on your hands. Miss Harriet will find lodgings for her somewhere; there are several big farms in that neighbourhood where they would take her in. Don't think you have to be benefactor to the whole world!" It was a day or two after this that, coming home from hunting, Justin paused on his way upstairs outside the drawing-room door. Anstice was at the piano singing, in her mellow contralto, little songs to the children, and they were joining in the chorus. He opened the door and stood there listening. "I want to stay little," said John Clifford Knight; "The grown-ups are dull, and so old. They never can run, they're too proper to fight; They only look at us, and scold." Chorus: "But I'll sing when I'm little, and I'll sing when I'm big, And my song will be Ha! Ha!! Ha!!!" "They like sitting still, they can't climb a high wall, They never play games and pretend, The fairies and bogies they can't see at all, Their money on sweets they'll not spend." Chorus: "But I'll sing," etc. "I want to be bigger," said Peter McDuff, "For grown-ups can do as they will; They eat what they like and have more than enough Without being seedy and ill." Chorus: "But I'll sing," etc. "They always have money; they don't have to go Off to bed every night before eight. Whatever they want, there is never a 'No,' And nobody scolds when they're late." Chorus: "But I'll sing," etc. The children were rather astonished when a rich bass voice joined in the chorus of the last verse. Anstice looked over her shoulder and smiled. And then, just as he was, he dropped into a chair. "Sing another," he said. So they sang another one, and then another, and then he moved over to the fire, and Ruffie insisted upon being lifted on his knees. "You sing very nice, Dad," he said, putting his tiny hand up and holding his father's chin in a way that he had when he wanted to be emphatic. "I think you'll have to come and sing with us always." "Oh, Dad will soon be going away again," sang out Georgie; "he's been home quite a long time now." "I'm not going just yet," said Justin. Then he added, with a slight twinkle in his eyes as he looked over at Anstice: "But when I do, I'm thinking of taking someone with me." "Not Steppie!" cried out both the little girls. "You shan't have Steppie." "No, you won't have her, we couldn't do without her," echoed Ruffie. "But if I told her to come, she would have to do so," said Justin. "And I expect she would like to come." Anstice looked across at him. Their eyes met. Justin's gravely imperturbable, Anstice's puzzled and slightly perplexed. "Will you come with me, Anstice?"