"A girl-kid. There were five of 'em in my carriage. They'd been sent home from school for some reason or other, and this one evidently hadn't let her people know, for when she got out at East Grinstead there was no one to meet her. All the station cabs had been snapped up, and some loathly bounder got hold of her--goodness knows what would have happened if I hadn't turned up and managed to scatter him. I got her a taxi from the Dorset, and sent her off in it to Shovelstrode." "Shovelstrode!--then she must be old Strife's daughter. What age was she?" "I should put her down at sixteen, but very innocent." "Pretty?" "Ye--es." "Nigel, my boy, you haven't let the grass grow under your feet." "Idiot!--we never exchanged a word except in the way of business. She wanted to know my name, but I took care to say Smith. There was nothing exciting about it at all--only an infernal loss of time." "Quite so. You didn't find me in a particularly good temper when you turned up at Hackenden." "The first words that passed between us were--'Is that you, you ass?' and 'Yes, you fool.' We haven't done the thing properly at all--we've forgotten to fall on each other's necks." "Let's do it now," said Len, and the two boys collapsed into a mock embrace, in the grips of which they staggered up and down the kitchen, knocking over several chairs. "Oh, stop, you duffers!" shouted Janet; but she was laughing. "Nigel hasn't changed a bit," she said to herself. "What have they been doing to your clothes?" asked Leonard, as his brother finally hurled him off. "They stink, lad, they stink." "They've been fumigated," said Nigel. "I've worn off some of the reek in the train, but to-morrow Janey shall peg 'em out to air." "We'll hang 'em across the road from the orchard. Lord! won't the Wilderwick freaks sit up!" "It'll take ages to get that smell out," said Janet ruefully, "and your hair, too, Nigel--when'll that look decent again?" "I say, stop your personal remarks, you two--and give me something to eat. I'm all one aching void." Janet took the soup off the fire, and slopped it into three blue bowls. Nigel went round the table, setting straight the spoons and forks, which Janey seemed to have flung on from a distance. "What's that for?" she asked. The young man started, then flushed slightly. "Hullo! I didn't notice what I was doing. I always had to do that in prison." "Put things straight?--what a good idea!" "Yes. Everything had to be straight--in rows. Ugh!" For the first time he looked self-conscious. "Well, it's a very good habit to have got into. You may be quite useful now." "I'm damned if I'd have done it," said Leonard. "You had to do it," said Nigel; "if you didn't ..." and a shudder passed over him. "What?" asked his brother and sister with interest. He flushed more deeply, and the muscles of his face quivered.