Mr. Cardwell looked at his son.
"I congratulate you on your discovery," he said. "She can come again if she likes. I'll never shut my door upon her."
The Pirate knew how many times his father's door had been shut upon unwelcome visitors, and he took Faith away with a glad heart.
Then the children were driven home, and chattered all the evening to their Granny and Aunt, telling of all that they had seen and done.
[CHAPTER VIII]
CHARITY PLAYS TRUANT
THE very next day the three little girls met Lionel and Fairfax Melville at the village shop.
Charity was shopping for her aunt, and she was doing it with her most important air. Hope and Faith were outside the door looking in at the window, and wondering if it would be very wicked in war-time to buy two pennyworth of sweets. Suddenly two cyclists dashed up and dismounted. They were boys of fourteen and fifteen, and had come to the shop to buy some machine oil. They did not notice Faith and Hope, but stared at Charity, and then the elder, Lionel, who had a very frank, easy way with him, said:
"I believe you're Carrots, aren't you? The Pater calls you that."
"Yes," said Charity beaming, "and you're Lionel and Fairfax. We've seen your pictures."