"Yes," nodded Georgie. "You aren't always running after us like the governesses used to do. You let us get away from you sometimes. But we want you to promise us that in the holidays we can do exactly as we like."
"What does Ruffie say?" Anstice asked.
For answer, Ruffie wriggled closer to her and laid his head on her shoulder.
"I love you," he said; "and I don't care if all the world knows it! I don't want you ever to leave us."
Anstice felt tears rising to her eyes.
"My darlings!" she said. "Yes, I call you all darlings, because you are. I don't mean to leave you. I want you to be as happy as children can be. I shan't be hard on you in the holidays, Georgie. If you get into scrapes, you must learn by experience that scrapes mean trouble to you or to others. Tell me if you can what you want to do, and I'll meet you as far as I can. And I'll try and make the holidays a really jolly time."
After the pow-wow was over Josie got Georgie into a corner.
"It's no good," she said, "trying to go against her. And the funny thing is that I don't want to. When did you first begin to like her, Georgie?"
"It was one day when I called out to her, and she said: 'What is it, darling?' Nobody had ever called me 'darling' before. I felt I could hug her when she said it!"
"Yes, I s'pose it's because we feel she really likes us, and loves a bit of fun."