"Thank fortune," Mrs. Blake said, as she had said so often this summer. The girls, dripping with jewels, were delighted with all that they had found. "Well, I'll tell you one thing, Portia," Lucy said. "I'll never believe another word of Madame Vavasour's, not even about our characters. This has been the most exciting day I've ever spent!" "I know. Just look at all these lovely things. What could be more wonderful to find?" "Money," Foster answered promptly. "I wish it had been some old-time money. Or an old-time gun, or two guns, or some skulls and bones, or something _in_teresting!" 16 _A New Old Name_ Every Friday evening when Mr. Blake returned to spend the weekend, the first thing he did was to take a "tour of inspection," both inside the house and outside. Every new thing was of interest: every flower, every shrub, every pair of curtains or new coat of paint. The safe with its little cache of jewels had fascinated him, and now and then, just to feel splendid, he wore Captain Dadware's signet ring. Now, on a Friday late in August, he was strolling on the lawn, arm in arm with Mrs. Blake. Portia had his other arm, and Foster was dawdling along beside, before, or behind them, as the mood took him. But he stayed near. Gulliver had performed his leaping dance of welcome, and now was strolling about, too, sniffing for rabbits. Mousenick, composed and quiet, was sitting on the doormat, waiting to feel playful again. "You know it's really turning into a handsome house," Mr. Blake said. "Well, not handsome, perhaps, but distinguished. Substantial. Interesting." "I think it's just beautiful," Portia said, and her mother agreed with her. They all stood looking up at their house with satisfaction. It was warmed by the late afternoon sunshine, and in the rich ivy, here and there showing a ruddy leaf already, sparrows were rustling and squabbling. "But I don't really mind them, do you?" Mrs. Blake said. "I've never minded sparrows as much as you're supposed to...." They began strolling on again. "Oh, Paul, did I tell you what Aunt Minnehaha told me? No, I didn't. She only told me yesterday. She says that this house was built on the site of another one, a very grand one that was built more than two hundred years ago. But then about 1830 it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground...." "Amberside," said Foster, walking beside her. "Hmm? What did you say, darling?" asked his mother, smoothing down his cowlick as she liked to do. "Amberside. That was the house's name. The other house's. The one that burned." "Was it really? How do you know?" "That's what Eli Scaynes says. He says his grandma told him so, and her grandma told her." "Amberside ... Amberside...." "You never told me that, Foster," Portia reproached him.