MAMA. QUICKLY. Come and look! Ginny! There’s someone coming.’ Hannah and Joseph almost fell into the hall in their excitement. ‘There’s a man – two men,’ said Joseph. ‘And one of them has a black face,’ said Hannah, ‘and they’re riding beautiful horses.’ Ginny ushered them into the drawing room. ‘Now where are your manners?’ she said severely. ‘Why are you behaving in such a way? It’s not the first time we have had visitors!’ ‘No! But Ginny, one of them might be Cousin Ralph, but the other—’ ‘Might also be a guest,’ said their mother as she came into the room. ‘So remember your manners, please, or you go upstairs instantly. In fact,’ she looked down at them, ‘I think perhaps you had better do that, you both have very dirty faces.’ ‘Oh, Mama, no. There isn’t time,’ they chorused. ‘They’re here.’ Ginny raised a finger and they became silent. ‘We’ll be good,’ Hannah whispered. ‘Really we will, we won’t say a word if we can stay.’ Their mother smiled.
