"There, there," she said, patting Alice and Noel and as much of the others as she could get hold of. "Don't you worry, dears, don't. I'll make it all right with Sir James. Let's all sit down in a comfy heap, and get our breaths again. I am so glad to see you all. My husband met your father at lunch the other day. I meant to come over and see you to-morrow." You cannot imagine the feelings of joy and safeness that we felt now we had found someone who knew we were Bastables, and not vagrant outcasts like the Police thought. The door had now been answered. We saw the base Police talking to the person who answered it. Then he came towards us, very red in the face. "Leave off bothering the lady," he said, "and come along of me. Sir James is in his lib_ra_ry, and he's ready to do justice on you, so he is." Mrs. Red House jumped up, and so did we. She said with smiles, as if nothing was wrong-- "Good morning, Inspector!" He looked pleased and surprised, as well he might, for it'll be long enough before he's within a mile of being _that_. "Good morning, miss, I'm sure," he replied. "I think there's been a little mistake, Inspector," she said. "I expect it's some of your men--led away by zeal for their duties. But I'm sure _you'll_ understand. I am staying with Lady Harborough, and these children are very dear friends of mine." The Police looked very silly, but he said something about hawking without a license. "Oh no, not _hawking_," said Mrs. Red House, "not _hawking_, surely! They were just _playing_ at it, you know. Your subordinates must have been quite mistaken." Our honesty bade us say that he was his own only subordinate, and that he hadn't been mistaken; but it is rude to interrupt, especially a lady, so we said nothing. The Police said firmly, "You'll excuse me, miss, but Sir James expressly told me to lay a information directly next time I caught any of 'em at it without a license." "But, you see, you didn't catch them at it." Mrs. Red House took some money out of her purse. "You might just give this to your subordinates to console them for the mistake they've made. And look here, these mistakes do lead to trouble sometimes. So I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll promise not to tell Sir James a word about it. _So_ nobody will be blamed." We listened breathless for his reply. He put his hands behind him-- "Well, miss," he said at last, "you've managed to put the Force in the wrong somehow, which isn't often done, and I'm blest if I know how you make it out. But there's Sir James a-waiting for me to come before him with my complaint. What am I a-goin' to say to him?" "Oh, anything," said Mrs. Red House; "surely some one else has done something wrong that you can tell him about?" "There was a matter of a couple of snares and some night lines," he said slowly, drawing nearer to Mrs. Red House; "but I couldn't take no money, of course."