"They were wonderfully trained," he said, "and did everything Max Sordello ordered them, but I wasn't sorry when the performance was over. Hero had a cage to himself, and Max Sordello didn't go in with him at all. I heard some one ask him why he didn't and where 'Una' was, and a lot of people grumbled. After we'd finished with the wild beasts we saw Tiny Jim and his wife. Tiny Jim was in evening dress with diamond studs—I suppose they couldn't have been real diamonds though—in his shirt, and a red rose in his buttonhole; and he had a packet of photographs, of himself and his wife taken together, in his hand, and sold copies of them at threepence each—Father bought one for me, and I'm going to keep it to show Nellie. The fat lady was immense! She wore a bright blue silk gown, and rows of pearls round her neck, and a bright blue bow in her hair—such frizzy, yellow hair it is! I wish you'd been there to see her and Tiny Jim—oh, I'd forgotten, that you couldn't have seen them!"
"Never mind," said Peter, "I like hearing all about them from you. They must be very nice people to have been so kind to poor little Grace Lee: they will be sorry not to see her again."
"Yes, but glad her uncle has got her, I expect. Oh, by the way, Peter, Father's holidays begin to-morrow; he's going to take me for some outings, and he hopes Miss Perry will let you come too."
"Oh, how jolly! I'm going to be here till about the twentieth of the month, I think. Your school reopens about then, doesn't it?"
"On the nineteenth. So we've a clear fortnight together to look forward to. We'll have a splendid time with Father."
"I should have thought your Father would have gone away for his holidays, Tom."
"Well, as a rule, he takes us all to the seaside in August, but this year he hasn't been able to spare the money. I was dreadfully disappointed when I heard we couldn't go as usual, but since I've known you I haven't minded."
Peter coloured with pleasure on hearing this. He had formed a very high opinion of Tom, and it was a keen pleasure to him to know that their friendship meant a great deal to Tom as well as to himself.
"I had a letter from Nellie this morning," Tom proceeded presently; "I've brought it to read to you if you'd care to hear it?"
"Oh, indeed I should!"