"OH, Jo, such news! I don't know whether I'm pleased or not; but I do hope it will be for the best!" And so saying, the speaker, Mrs. Dennis, laid down the letter she had been reading and glanced at her husband, with a smile upon her lips and tears in her eyes.

It was half-past eight on a fine September morning, and the Dennis family—comprised of Dr. Dennis, his wife, and three children, Edwin and Claude, aged eleven and nine respectively, and Poppy, a bright little maiden of eight—were seated at the breakfast-table. Four pairs of eyes turned curiously upon Mrs. Dennis as she spoke, and her husband hastened to inquire:

"What is it, my dear? What is it you hope will be for the best? That is a letter from your brother, is it not?"

"Yes, in which he informs me that he is going to be married again; and he wants us to have Freddy to stay with us for a few months whilst he and his bride are away on their wedding trip. Here, Jo—" and as she spoke Mrs. Dennis handed the letter to her husband— "read what he says for yourself."

The children, who had been listening with great interest, exchanged glances of mingled surprise and excitement. Freddy was their cousin, a boy of nine years old, the only child of their mother's brother, Mr. Frederick Collins, a landowner in Devonshire, who lived at a beautiful old home called Marldon Court. Mr. Collins had been left a widower when his little son had been only a few months old, consequently Freddy had never known a mother's love; but he had never been conscious of anything wanting in his life, for his father had made him his first care, and the servants at Marldon Court had always humoured his slightest whim. Mrs. Dennis had been in the habit of spending a week or so with her brother every spring, taking one of her children with her; this year it had been Edwin's turn, and he had, therefore, the most vivid recollections of his cousin, and was not altogether charmed at the prospect of having him as a visitor in the house.

"I don't think Freddy would care to be here," he remarked soberly; "he's so fond of the country, and he'd find our home very poky and dull. I hope he won't come!"

"That sounds an inhospitable speech, considering the enjoyable fortnight you spent at Marldon Court not so long ago," his mother said, in a tone of gentle reproof. "Why should you wish your cousin not to come?"

Edwin flushed, and made no reply. He did not wish to appear inhospitable; but, as he mentally compared the handsome dining-room at Marldon Court with the decidedly shabby apartment in which they were breakfasting, he doubted if Freddy would be contented with the change from the home where he had had everything that heart could desire, to his uncle's less flourishing abode. Dr. Dennis was a medical practitioner in a large commercial town in the Midlands, and it was all he could do to make both ends meet, although his practice was an increasing one; indeed, in years gone by, it would have been harder times for the doctor's family but for his well-to-do brother-in-law, who had always been his best friend. Mrs. Dennis was naturally deeply attached to her brother, and she was exceedingly fond of Freddy, who was a bright, intelligent little fellow.

When Dr. Dennis had finished reading Mr. Collins' letter he returned it to his wife, and glanced from her to the children. Rightly interpreting his look, she told them that as they had finished their breakfast they might go, adding that she would join them in the schoolroom by-and-by. Somewhat reluctantly the young folks left the room, and repaired to the apartment which had been formerly their nursery, but, now that they were school-children, was used as a room where they learnt their lessons in the evenings, and could follow their own pursuits without interruption.

"Mother might as well have told us who Uncle Frederick is going to marry," said Claude, in a slightly injured tone.

"Some old frump, I expect," Edwin replied; "I wonder how Freddy will like having a step-mother."

"Poor Freddy!" sighed Poppy, sympathetically, recalling all the stories she had heard of unkind step-mothers; "it will be very hard lines for him, won't it?"

"Oh, I don't know that!" Edwin exclaimed quickly. "So far he has had everything his own way, and he's very selfish. I noticed that when I was at Marldon Court at Easter. He wouldn't let me ride his pony, though uncle asked him if he would and was vexed because he wouldn't; and he'd hardly allow me to touch his pet rabbits; and he got quite nasty when his dog took a fancy to me. All the same he's a jolly little chap," he allowed, "and willing to do you a good turn—that is, if it doesn't put him out of the way to do it."

Claude and Poppy laughed at the conclusion of their brother's sentence, and continued to discuss their cousin till the door at length opened to admit their mother. Immediately they began to ply her with questions; but she held up a silencing hand, saying that if they would listen quietly she would tell them all she knew herself concerning their uncle's approaching marriage.

"He is going to marry a young lady who has been visiting in the neighbourhood of Marldon Court," she commenced to explain, "and he says Freddy likes her, which is extremely satisfactory. There is no reason why the wedding should be delayed, so it is to take place very shortly, and Freddy is to come here whilst his father and step-mother go abroad."

"Is he coming for months, mother?" Edwin asked seriously.

"Yes; very likely he will stay with us till Christmas. Your uncle suggests that he should go to school with you boys, and I am sure that will be the best plan."

"Freddy has never been to school, has he?" questioned Claude.

"No: he has been educated by a governess up to the present."

"And a fine time he led her, judging from his own accounts," said Edwin laughing; "I believe she let him do as he pleased for the sake of a peaceful life."

"I am afraid he is rather a spoilt child," admitted Mrs. Dennis; "but I am sure he is a very affectionate little fellow. Your uncle says he is certain the wife he has chosen will prove a kind step-mother, and if so, he is acting wisely for Freddy's sake. Your father and I will, of course, be invited to the wedding, which will be at the end of the month."

"So soon as that!" exclaimed the children in surprise.

"Yes. It will be a very quiet wedding. The bride—Miss Seymour she is called—is to be married from the Vicarage at Marldon; the Vicar is her uncle, and she has often visited him before this year, so your uncle and Freddy have known her some time. After the wedding your father and I will bring Freddy back with us."

"I suppose they have bride cakes at quiet weddings, don't they?" asked Poppy, anxiously, at which her mother and brothers laughed, and the former replied that she was not certain upon the point.

"I wonder how Freddy will like going to school," Edwin said, reflectively; "he's sure not to like it at first. I shall warn him not to be too important with the boys; he's younger than I am, so I suppose I shall have to stick by him if he gets into trouble, especially as he's our cousin."

"Why should he get into trouble?" Mrs. Dennis inquired. "He always appeared to me very good-tempered."

"Oh, yes!" Edwin agreed; "but, he's inclined to be meddlesome, and to interfere with what doesn't concern him. He has such a good opinion of himself that he thinks what he does and says must be right."

"Then he must be very conceited!" Poppy exclaimed with decision.

"You see, he has had no sister or brother to point out his failings to him," Mrs. Dennis said excusingly. "You must be kind to him, children, for he will be your guest, and I want him to have a happy time whilst he is with us. It will be a great change for him here in many respects. No doubt he will feel the separation from his father, for they have always been so devoted to each other; and he will miss his pony and his numerous pets, but I hope he will be quite compensated for all he loses by your friendship and love. The society of young folks is what he most wants; hitherto, he has lived with grown-up people only."

"It must have been very dull for him sometimes," said Claude; "but of course there are so many more ways of amusing oneself in the country than in the town. I wonder what he will think of this place. It will seem odd to him to live in a house in a street, with no garden."

"And a grocer's shop opposite," added Edwin, who was standing by the window looking out.

"Well, that's very convenient," Poppy said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It is a mile from Marldon Court to the village, and then there's only an all-sorts shop there. Mother, when you lived with Uncle Frederick before you married father, didn't you find it very inconvenient about the shopping?"

"No, my dear, for we used to keep a good stock of everything in the house. Now, I must leave you, and go and write to Uncle Frederick. Have you any messages for him? Shall I send him your congratulations?

"Please, mother," all three answered, and Poppy added: "Say I hope our new auntie will be very nice."

"And what message will you send to Freddy?" Mrs. Dennis asked with a smile.

"Tell him we're glad he likes Miss Seymour," Claude said seriously, "and that we're looking forward to seeing him."

"And that he'd better leave his meddlesome tricks behind him at Marldon Court, for there's no room for them here!" Edwin cried laughingly. "Oh, well, mother, you can leave that out, if you please!" he said, as Mrs. Dennis shook her head; then, as she left the room, he turned to his sister and brother, and remarked with sudden gravity: "I do hope mother won't be disappointed in Freddy, but she really doesn't know what he's like, for he was always on his best behaviour in her presence."

"He's very fond of her," Claude replied, "so perhaps he won't mind obeying her when he comes here to stay."

"I don't believe he ever really obeyed anyone in his life," Edwin said, "but he'll have to begin, and I don't suppose he'll like it. Well, we have had unexpected news to-day. I don't know whether to call it good news or not."

Edwin was a thoughtful, observant boy, and during his fortnight's visit to Marldon Court in the spring he had spent most of the time in his cousin's society, and had formed a fair estimate of his character. Would Freddy expect the members of his uncle's household to give way to him, to study his pleasure, and to bend to his imperious will? If so, he would find out he had made a mistake, for Dr. Dennis— "Uncle Jo," as Freddy called him— exacted strict obedience from his children, and would require it from his little nephew too.