"It doesn't matter about your being old," said Fidge, snuggling up to me and catching hold of my arm; "you're not like most grown-ups, and don't mind us larking about a bit." "I hope not," I said smilingly. "Besides, he isn't old," chimed in Lady Betty, "at least not very," she qualified. "He hasn't even got a beard, and if he wasn't a little bit grown-up he couldn't afford to take us about," she added practically. "I expect we'll have some jolly decent grub," I heard Dick whisper to Lionel. "Mrs. Putchy makes ripping pastry. I know, because we used to stay at his place sometimes before you came." Marjorie looked up from her book and smiled and nodded across at me. "It's lovely," she said, as we drove along. "We're going to have a perfectly splendid day." We were sitting three aside, and there was just comfortable room for us; and when we had got well into the country I began to tell the younger ones, Fidge and Lady Betty, a story. Marjorie closed her book too and leaned forward to listen, but the two big boys, evidently considering it _infra dig_. to listen to anything so childish, were eagerly comparing school experiences. Dick was at Harrow and Lionel at Marlborough, so they had a lot to talk about. Presently, in the middle of my story, Marjorie called out, without looking up, "Move further along, Dick, don't crowd so." "I'm not!" retorted Dick, "it's you. I can't move any further without crowding Lionel out of the trap." "Oh, it's this cushion," cried Marjorie, turning about and trying to remove what looked at first like a yellow silk cushion beside her. It was evidently too heavy though, and she gave a start as she touched it. "Why!" she exclaimed, "it's got something alive in it!" We all turned around to see what she meant, and at once I knew that it was Shin Shira appearing. "Oh, jolly!" cried all the children but Lionel, when I explained to them what was happening. "It's all very well, and he's good fun and all that," said my young cousin, "but if you'd had the experience that I had with his old Magic Carpet, you'd be very careful not to have much to do with him--he's rather dangerous." "But think of the adventures you have with him," said Dick enviously. "I wouldn't funk it if he asked me to go anywhere with him." "Who's funking it?" demanded Lionel angrily. "Well, _you_ didn't seem to have much desire to repeat your experiences, my friend," laughed Shin Shira. "My head and ears just happened to arrive in time for me to gather that." Lionel turned very red. "Oh well, sir, I did have rather a rough time on the Magic Carpet, you know." "So you did, so you did," agreed Shin Shira, amiably beaming on us all. "And where may all you young people be off to this fine day?" "We're having a picnic," said Lady Betty shyly. "Going to have, you mean," corrected Fidge. "It isn't a picnic till you begin to eat, you know." "Would you mind if I joined you?" asked the Yellow Dwarf, appealing to me.