Page:Burnett - Two Little Pilgrims' Progress A Story of the City Beautiful.djvu/224

204 a few moments they were quite still. Meg sat in her Straw Parlour attitude, with her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands. Her eyes looked very big, and as lustrous as the jewels in the lagoon.

"I'm going to ask you something," said John Holt, in a quiet sort of voice at last.

"Yes," said Meg dreamily.

"Would you two like to belong to me?"

Meg's hands dropped, and she turned her shining eyes.

"I've been talking to your Aunt Matilda about that big house of mine," he went on. "It's empty. There's too much room in it. I want to take you two and see if you can fill it up. Will you come and live with me?"

Meg and Robin turned their eyes upon each other in a dazed way.

"Will we come?" they stammered. "Live with you!"

"Mrs. Jennings is willing," said John Holt. "You two have things to do in the world. I'll help you to learn to do them. You"—with the short laugh—"you shall tell me fairy stories."

Fairy stories! What was this? Their hearts beat in their breasts like little hammers. The gondola moved smoothly over the scintillating water, and the