'Not she,' declared Reggie, perched outside upon the dyke, with the wind drying his wet face and clothing; 'we have taught her to play fair. She is only lying low in some place that we haven't thought of. Let's shout to her to call "cuckoo."' They raised their voices and cried, 'Call cuckoo, Tricksy;' and Laddie, who had been shut in the house to keep him from spoiling sport, but who had made good his escape behind the boys, pricked up his ears and resolved to be useful. A muffled voice was heard in response, and Laddie, with a bark, sprang towards the peat-stack and stood before it, wagging his tail and trying to make an entrance with nose and paws. Some of the peats were tumbled aside, and Tricksy emerged, looking very indignant. 'A nice way to play,' she said, 'setting Laddie on to me when you couldn't find me yourselves.' They tried to explain, but Tricksy's eyes were full of contempt, and her small figure seemed to grow taller with offended dignity. 'Such a nice hiding-place,' she said; 'and now you've gone and spoilt it all.' 'Don't be a little silly, Tricksy,' said Reggie to her in an undertone; and Tricksy allowed her dignity to subside. Fresh hiding-places were chosen; and when at last the young people were so tired as to be disinclined to run any more, Marjorie suggested going indoors to see whether tea were ready. The dining-room table was bare, and all faces fell. 'I'll just go into the kitchen and see what Elspeth is about,' said Marjorie; 'perhaps the servants are forgetting us.' In the stone-floored kitchen, whither they all trooped after Marjorie, Elspeth was sitting knitting by the fireside. 'Elspeth, when is tea going to be ready?' inquired Marjorie, rather impatiently. The girl looked up at her, then down again at her knitting with pretended indifference. 'Tea, Miss Marjorie? I wass thinking you would not be wanting any tea to-day.' Marjorie's lips tightened, but she kept down the rising temper with an effort. 'Why not?' she asked. 'Here are Allan and Reggie and Tricksy from Ardnavoir; and we want our tea, please.' Elspeth looked up, and seemed to see the others for the first time. 'Would you ask the young ladies and gentle men to wipe their feet on the rug, Miss Marjorie if you please? They are spoiling my kitchen floor.' This request made the whole troop feel uncomfortable, and they began shifting from one foot to the other, conscious that they must have brought more mud into the house than the authorities were at all likely to approve of. 'All right,' said Marjorie impatiently; 'we are not coming in any further; but will you please get tea ready for us as soon as you can?' 'Get tea ready! And how am I to do that, Miss Marjorie, if you please, when the girdle hass been taken away out of the kitchen? I cannot be making scones on the open fire.' Marjorie turned red and bit her lip. 'Oh, never mind the girdle,' she said. 'We'll do without scones for one day.'