"I should rather like an adventure myself," said Willy, "if it all ended well, and was not at night, and had nothing to do with tortures or fire."
"I long to have my courage tried!" cried Tom, throwing himself back in the carriage with an air of great firmness and determination. "I want to have it brought to the proof!"
"But if it should fail?" suggested Willy. "Do you know that I have often thought over those stories, and I'm half afraid."
"That word again!" cried Tom impatiently.
"I'm dubitating, then, as Dr. Paynter would say, whether in any one of the cases I should have acted as the heroes did! Think of Maxwell now, how he stood the fire, and never flinched from his post for a moment, though—"
"There's Ivy Lodge itself!" cried Tom, springing up to the window. "And the roses out already, and Duke grazing in the field."
"Mamma! Can you see mamma?" cried Willy. "There is some one at the door—no! 'Tis Uncle Presgrave—I thought he would be there."
The carriage stopped at the entrance to Ivy Lodge.
