"I know you would not have cabled to us as you did unless you had very strong reasons for your opinion that the shares were going up; that, and the fact that your father had an offer for them—oh, Nell, he is telling Denis about that! He very nearly accepted it!—well, this makes me hope that we shall be able to return to our home. Won’t we all be willing to economise? Bread and potatoes and Kilbrannan are not to be despised, are they, asthore? You and Denis must make your friend, Ted Lancaster, promise that, if we only can go back, he will look upon it as a second home. Tell him we shall want as much of his time as he can spare to be spent at Kilbrannan, and we’ll manage to add a trout or two, perhaps even a salmon, to the bread and potatoes when he is with us. With these extras, and the hearty welcome he will receive from us all, I hope he’ll find Kilbrannan so bearable that all his vacations will be given to us!" Ted grew very red as he perused the letter. He handed it back in silence. "Well?" Nell laughed. "I say—er—why, it’s no end kind—" "That’ll do. You needn’t say anything, except—you will, Teddie, won’t you?" "By Jove, yes!" he said. He stood looking out of the window. He felt then the first liking for Mrs. O’Brien that afterwards developed into such devotion that she always declared she had two sons. Once he approached Nell. "I say," he said, "you know—I—I mean a lot!" She gave a little laugh. "So do I," she said. "Oh, Ted—" "But you say it!" he remonstrated, and strode across to Sheila Pat, whose pig-tail he proceeded to pull. But Sheila Pat was very dignified. "Please don’t intrude. I’m thinkin’." Presently she came to Nell. "Nell," she whispered, "Kilbrannan’s very healthy, isn’t it?" "Why, yes, sweet!" "I’m thinkin’ maybe it’ll make Tommy’s left leg grow as long as the other one!" "I’m afraid it won’t do that, asthore." Her face fell. "I’m glad I didn’t mention it to him," she said earnestly. "I didn’t on purpose, because I wasn’t wantin’ to give false hopes to him, you see." Nell bent and kissed her. "It will make him strong and well, anyway." Sheila Pat nodded. She went across to James O’Driscoll. "In a fortnight and two days we’ll introduce you to your cousin!" she said. That evening Nell went into her bedroom. She came upon an absorbed Atom, kneeling before her treasure box. "What are you doing, Sheila Pat?" Sheila Pat lifted her head; her small face was full of a restless joy. She said staidly:— "Sure, Nell O’Brien, and what would I be doin’ then? _I’m packin’_!"