Anstice spoke quietly, but she had quick eyes, and the children looked slightly abashed. "He'll knock you down, if I let him go," Josie said. "I'll risk that." Very reluctantly they loosed their grip of his collar. Hercules made a bound towards her. Anstice stood her ground, and smiled at him. He sniffed at her shoes, wagged his tail, and then as she patted his head, he turned up his beautiful brown eyes, and regarded her with favour, even going so far as to lick her hand. Then Anstice turned to the little girls. "Won't you show me the animals? I expect you have a good many pets and I want to know them." But they took to their heels, whistling for Hercules, who bounded after them, and a wave of depression passed over Anstice's soul. Then she turned with brisk steps to search for Brenda. "Can you leave your little charge?" she asked her when she met her on the stairs. "Indeed, yes, ma'am. He's accustomed to loneliness, poor little soul! But I've carried him down to the library and his sisters will be in and out concocting mischief with him. For the matter o' that 'tis his brain that hatches most of their plots, and they carry them out." "Is he able to read?" "Yes, indeed he is, but his doctor doesn't like him to do too much of it. It gives him headaches. He's great at drawing, and has books and books full of his funny figures." "Oh, that's good to hear! Now, will you take me over the house?" For an hour Anstice talked and planned with Brenda, making arrangements for the comfort of them all. There evidently seemed no lack of money, but utter lack of organization. Brenda said that no good servants would come, where there was no proper mistress. "I haven't the authority, ma'am—nor am I good at getting others to work. I'd rather do it all myself. There's an aunt of mine—she's lately been left a widow. She's a good cook and was living with some gentry about eight mile from here. I asked her wouldn't she come to us; but she knew the master was always away, and didn't like the idea of doing for the governesses who've been driven away one after the other owing to the children's wicked ways." "Where does your aunt live? Could she come and see me? Or I could go to her?" They discussed the matter together. Anstice longed to get help in and have the empty rooms all prepared and got ready for use. The house was of grey substantial stone, with several quaint buttresses and corners. The windows on the ground floor all opened to the ground. There was a very large conservatory on one side of the drawing-room, but beyond one creeping rose that covered the outside wall there was not a plant in it. Old boxes and lumber of all sorts were stacked up inside it. As Anstice walked about, and noted the possibilities of the house, she felt glad that she had come to it. "I can make it into a pretty and comfortable home, I know I can; but I wonder whether I can make it into a happy one."