In the years that had passed since the loss of the boys, Fred Rayburn had quite lived down the prejudice against him which had prevented Gilbert Gray from making him the first manager of the Royal Victoria Hotel in Gattigo. But when the first manager gave up the situation, Fred was able to take it; and the hotel had been most successful under him and Janet, and had made both Gilbert Gray and Fred Rayburn rich and prosperous men. The Rayburns now lived in a pretty house two or three miles from Old Man's Ferry Farm, where Janet and her daughter had no more arduous work to do than to keep house and see after their garden. Fred drove into Gattigo every day, and the hotel still flourished without a rival. The important letter was addressed to Old Man's Ferry Farm, and when it arrived there, Gilbert and his wife, always glad to visit the Rayburns, ordered their well-appointed phaeton, with its two pretty ponies, and inquired if any of the young people would like to fill the back seat. Several of the young people wanted to go, for cousin Lily was a general favourite; and while the boys were arguing about their claims to the seat, the two elder girls slipped quietly away to the stable and came round to the door in possession of the places. Gil and Emile and the rest were naturally very indignant, but the girls only smiled serenely, and were soon bowling smoothly along the well-made road, very different from the rough track by which Janet reached the farm on her first arrival. "The Gables," as the Rayburns called their home, certainly deserved its name. It had been added to by many hands, and in many styles, and how many gables there were I should be afraid to conjecture. Janet and her daughter had made a pretty garden close to the house; to be sure, it was only a corner of a field well fenced with high palisades and wire netting, but it was full of flowers in summer, and afforded as much pleasure to its owners as any walled garden in the dear "old country." Lily and her mother were at work among their flowers when the Grays drove up. Out ran Lily, followed by Janet, who, however, remembered to shut the gate. "You've come to stay all day, haven't you?" cried Lily, joyously. She was a fair, bright-haired lassie, very like her mother and poor little Frank. "You must stay," she went on, "for father's in Gattigo, and won't be home until dinner-time." "Well, we can stay, Miss Apple-cheeks," said her uncle. "Janet, we've brought you a letter. Who on earth can be so behind the times as to write to you still at the Ferry Farm?" "I don't know, but I'm glad of anything that brings you here. You and Aimée don't take a holiday half often enough. Lily, call Karl to take the ponies." Karl having been found, the others all went into the house and had some luncheon, after which Janet asked for her letter. "I declare I had forgotten it!" said Gilbert. "Here it is."