"My dear, dear children," said Mrs. Brett, "I have come to take you away with me--that is, all of you who can come. My husband and I are a childless couple, and we have plenty of room in our house. You must just pack your things and come along. That is what I have come for. There is a nurse coming to look after the poor girl who is so dreadfully ill.--Lucy, dear, your father is particularly anxious that you should come--yes, and all the rest of you, for that matter. I can squeeze you all in; but I cannot manage the governesses, that is the only thing. All the rest--every single one of you--must come. Rosamund, you, of course; and, Laura, you also. Annie Millar--yes, certainly--and Phyllis Flower, and Agnes Sparkes--every single one of you shall come back with me. It will be Poverty Castle, my loves, and we'll have to stint and scrape and contrive; but at any rate we'll be merry when we can be merry, and we'll forget our troubles in doing good to others."