"'Mary, my dear, we must go about our business, or what will your mother say to us? We must see after these houses. We can't live on the river's bank.' "'I wish we could,' I sighed; and though he had risen and turned away, I lingered still. At this moment my father exclaimed-- "'Bless my soul!' and I jumped up and turned round. "He was staring at a wall with a gateway in it, enclosing a house and garden on the other side of the road. On the two gateposts were printed in black Roman letters two words that I could not understand--_Reka Dom_. "'What does it mean?' I asked. "'Reka Dom?' said my father thoughtfully (and he pronounced it _Rayka Dome_). 'It is Russian. It means River House. Very curious! I suppose the people who live here are Russians. It's a nice situation--a lovely view--_lovely_!' and he had turned round to the river, but I caught his arm. "'Father, dear, no one lives here. Look!' and I pointed to a board beyond the gateway, which stated in plain English that the house was to let. * * * * * "By the time that we returned to my mother, Reka Dom was to all intents and purposes our home. "It is true that the house was old, rambling, and out of repair, and that what we heard of the landlord was not encouraging. He was rich, we were told, but miserly; and 'a very queer old gentleman,' whose oddness almost amounted to insanity. He had 'made himself so unpleasant' to various people who had thought of taking the house, that they drew back, and Reka Dom had been untenanted for some time. The old woman who took care of it, and from whom we got this information, prophesied further that he would 'do nothing to the old place. He'd let it fall about his ears first.' "It is also true that standing in the garden (which in its rambling, disorderly way was charming, and commanded a lovely view), my father rubbed his head ruefully, and said: "'You know, Mary, your mother's chief objection to our latest home was that the grounds were so much too large for our means of keeping them in order; and this garden is the larger of the two, I fear.' "And he did not seem to derive proportionate comfort from my reply. "'But, father dear, you know you needn't keep it in order, and then we can have it to play in.' "And yet we took Reka Dom.