It had been a favorite pastime of Victor and Bettina to break in upon Marie Louise of mornings when she forgot to lock her door. They loved to steal in barefoot and pounce on her with yelps of savage delight and massacre her, pull her hair and dance upon her bed and on her as she pleaded for mercy. She heard them coming now, and she could not reach the door before it opened and disclosed the grinning, tousle-curled cherubs in their sleeping-suits. They darted in, only to fall back in amazement. Marie Louise was not in bed. The bed had not been slept in. Marie Louise was all dressed, and she had been crying. And in a chair sat a strange, formidable old gentleman who looked tired and forlorn. "Auntie!" they gasped. She dropped to her knees, and they ran to her for refuge from the strange man. She hugged them so hard that they cried, "Don't!" Without in the least understanding what it was all about, they heard her saying to the man: "And now what's to become of these poor lambs?" The old stranger passed a slow gray hand across his dismal face and pondered. The children pointed, then remembered that it is impolite to point, and drew back their little index hands and whispered: "Auntie, what you up so early for?" and, "Who is that?" And she whispered, "S-h-h!" Being denied the answer to this charade, they took up a new interest. "I wonder is grandpapa up, too, and all dressed," said Victor. "And maybe grandmamma," Bettina shrilled. "I'll beat you to their room," said Victor. Marie Louise seized them by their hinder garments as they fled. "You must not bother them." "Why not?" said Victor. "Will so!" said Bettina, pawing to be free. Marie Louise implored: "Please, please! They've gone." "Where?" She cast her eyes up at that terrible query, and answered it vaguely. "Away." "They might have told a fellow good-by," Victor brooded. "They--they forgot, perhaps." "I don't think that was very nice of them," Bettina pouted. Victor was more cheerful. "Perhaps they did; perhaps they kissed us while we was asleep--_were_ asleep." Bettina accepted with delight. "Seems to me I 'member somebody kissin' me. Yes, I 'member now." Victor was skeptical. "Maybe you only had a dream about it." "What else is there?" said Mr. Verrinder, rising and patting Victor on the shoulder. "You'd better run along to your tubs now." They recognized the authority in his voice and obeyed. The children took their beauty with them, but left their destiny to be arranged by higher powers, the gods of Eld. "What is to become of them," Louise groaned again, "when I go to prison?" Verrinder was calm. "Sir Joseph's will doubtless left the bulk of his fortune to them. That will provide for their finances. And they have two grandparents left. The Oakbys will surely be glad to take the children in, especially as they will come with such fortunes." "You mean that I am to have no more to do with them?"