The children were regaled with bread and cream by Mrs. Wills. She, good soul, was delighted that her landlord evinced such interest in her little nephew, and thought it very kind of him to invite the boy to Haldon Hall. After her visitors had left, she asked Bob how he liked his new acquaintances.
"Oh, pretty well, Aunt Mary," he replied carelessly; "the girl seems rather nice, but I think the boy is a bit of a prig. If he shows any stuck-up airs to me, I shall soon let him see I won't stand them."
"Bob!" exclaimed Mrs. Wills. "I hope you'll behave well when you go to Haldon Hall."
"I shall show him he can't have his own way in everything," Bob said, with a mischievous gleam in his blue eyes. "If he'd been to school as I have, he'd have been taught that before."
[CHAPTER III.]
BOB'S FIRST VISIT TO HALDON HALL.
WHEN Bob Wills marched up to the front door of Haldon Hall on the following Saturday, it was opened by Nellie and Rupert.
"We expected you before," the latter informed him. "Why didn't you come directly after breakfast?"
"I wanted to," he responded truthfully, "but Aunt Mary wouldn't let me."
"Well, come and speak to mother—she's in the dining-room with Miss Long."