'I'll see about it,' said his mother, smiling, while his father looked up and asked what they were whispering about—it was a shame to have secrets from him when he was so seldom at home!
And as he spoke, he got up slowly from his comfortable chair by the fire.
'I'm afraid I must go down-stairs to the study,' he said. 'I have some letters to write, though I do feel very lazy about it.'
But immediately a cry was set up.
'O papa, do wait till we've gone to bed,' said the three voices. 'We shall be going in half an hour.'
So of course papa gave in.
Mamma had an interesting book to read after the children had gone to bed, and their father had left her to write his letters. She read on for some time, and then she began to feel chilly, and looking up she saw that the fire was getting low.
'I'll go down to the study,' she thought. 'There's sure to be a good fire there.'
As she went down-stairs it struck her that she would take a look into the schoolroom, and just notice if the 'post-office' drawers were shut, and all looking as usual.
'I might even,' she said to herself, 'count the stamps and compare my counting with Leo's to-morrow.'