Poor man, he had never been ill in his life, and he took to it badly. One paralytic stroke succeeded another, and, at last, after a few months of much repining and wearing suffering, he passed quietly away, his last words being that he was going to rejoin his dear wife on the other side. It was then that the Alfred Whittakers left Fairview. "I shall never fancy the house again since poor father's death," said Regina on the evening of the funeral. "No, I can quite believe that," returned Alfred Whittaker, sympathetically. "Well," he added after a pause, "you will be able to afford a larger house if you want it." "I should like a larger garden," said Regina. "I think children brought up without a garden are generally unhappy little creatures, and ours are getting big enough to enjoy it." By that time Julia was nine years old, and Maud, of course, two years older still. Their father and mother therefore gave notice to their landlord, and cast about in their minds for some new and desirable neighborhood which would contain a new and desirable residence. They decided eventually on purchasing a house in the most artistic suburb of London, that which is known among Londoners as Northampton Park. They were lucky enough to find a house to be sold at a reasonable price in the main road of this quaint little village. It stood well back from the traffic, having a long garden between the gate and the entrance. The gate was rustic and wooden, and was decorated with an art copper plate of irregular shape, on which the name of the house was embossed in quaint letters extremely difficult to read--"Ye Dene." "Why," asked Julia, when she and her sister were taken to see the new domicile, "why do you call our new house Ye Den? Is it a den?" "Ye _Dene_, dearest--Ye _Dene_. It is old English spelling," said Regina. "I think it is rather pretty, don't you Alfie?" "H'm, the house is nice enough, and you youngsters will enjoy the garden, which is far better than you have ever had before. I believe it costs a lot of money to alter the name of a house; in fact, I don't know whether one is allowed to or not. I'll find out." But, somehow, they took possession of their new home without finding out whether it was possible to alter the name thereof. "What about headed paper, Queenie?" said Alfred, when they were at breakfast on the second morning after their entrance into the new domicile. "Headed paper? Oh yes, we must have that, dear." "Well, will you stick to calling the house Ye Dene?"