So up they came, and all Hugh's "humble pie" was demolished before he had time to produce it. "John! Hugh! whatever _are_ you after? Are you gone out of your wits?" "Come and look, Agnes," said John, hurrying to her, "and don't be vexed, there's a darling. I wanted a room to myself, and we meant to surprise you; but when we'd got half through it I began to fear you would be more than surprised." An hour or two ago Agnes would have been vexed, almost angry; now she had been to the Fountain of Strength, and coming refreshed from Him she answered gently: "I can't say that I would rather you had done it, but I'll try to like it if you wish." She kissed their hot, dusty faces and looked round. "If you point out anything wrong I'll say 'Hugh did it,'" smiled John, "and he is to say 'John did it' if he is blamed." "I see," answered Agnes. "Isn't it a nice little room?" "Very. I wonder mother never thought of it before." "Hurrah!" exclaimed Hugh. "Now, Agnes, you'll not mend that; it's as good as a whole volume of permission. Let's go down to dinner after that." But as they went down John said to her: "You're not really vexed, dear girl?" "No, dear," she answered, looking up brightly. "If you are pleased, I'm sure mother will not mind till she has time to think about it. But, John, the dirt----" "Oh, that'll come all right," said John. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XXI. _THE MAGIC OF LOVE._ The next morning everything was bustle till the boys were off; for imperceptibly they had got a little later during holiday time, and on this first day of school they discovered it, in finding no breakfast ready when they came down. But by dint of a little hurrying, and a decidedly short meal for the boys, they really did start in time. "Thanks to you girls," said John gratefully, as he caught up his books and ran off. "My last term at school, Agnes!" "Now here we are once more," said Agnes with a deep sigh, gazing round on the room, which looked ever so much more empty than if her brothers had just started for an ordinary walk. "Now I suppose _we_ have to begin school?" said Alice with a wry face. But the wry face was put on, and the frown was gone--gone from her heart too; for yesterday she had looked once more at the text on the wall, and had yielded herself again to its influence. "I was thinking," answered Agnes, "that we would give ourselves a holiday to do John's room." "Jolly!" exclaimed Minnie. "I can clean and scrub beautifully; Jane says I can." "We must all help to surprise him, for they will be home at one, and we have plenty of work before us." "What shall we begin on?" asked Alice. "I have to do a very quick piece of business, which if you like you may come up to the top to superintend; and then, Alice, I want you to go round to the picture-frame shop in Southampton Street, and tell the man I will send for it at eleven o'clock."