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〃Yes； I did；〃 faltered Felicity； beginning to look scared。 〃Why； ma； what was the matter with it？〃
〃Matter！ That stuff was TOOTH…POWDER； that's what it was。 Your Cousin Myra broke the bottle her tooth…powder was in when she was here last winter and I gave her that old can to keep it in。 She forgot to take it when she went away and I put it on that top shelf。 I declare you must all have been bewitched yesterday。〃
Poor； poor Felicity！ If she had not always been so horribly vain over her cooking and so scornfully contemptuous of other people's aspirations and mistakes along that line； I could have found it in my heart to pity her。
The Story Girl would have been more than human if she had not betrayed a little triumphant amusement； but Peter stood up for his lady manfully。
〃The rusks were splendid； anyhow； so what difference does it make what they were raised with？〃
Dan； however； began to taunt Felicity with her tooth…powder rusks； and kept it up for the rest of his natural life。
〃Don't forget to send the Governor's wife the recipe for them；〃 he said。
Felicity； with eyes tearful and cheeks crimson from mortification； rushed from the room； but never； never did the Governor's wife get the recipe for those rusks。
CHAPTER VII
WE VISIT COUSIN MATTIE'S
One Saturday in March we walked over to Baywater； for a long… talked…of visit to Cousin Mattie Dilke。 By the road； Baywater was six miles away； but there was a short cut across hills and fields and woods which was scantly three。 We did not look forward to our visit with any particular delight； for there was nobody at Cousin Mattie's except grown…ups who had been grown up so long that it was rather hard for them to remember they had ever been children。 But； as Felicity told us； it was necessary to visit Cousin Mattie at least once a year； or else she would be 〃huffed；〃 so we concluded we might as well go and have it over。
〃Anyhow； we'll get a splendiferous dinner；〃 said Dan。 〃Cousin Mattie's a great cook and there's nothing stingy about her。〃
〃You are always thinking of your stomach；〃 said Felicity pleasantly。
〃Well； you know I couldn't get along very well without it； darling；〃 responded Dan who； since New Year's； had adopted a new method of dealing with Felicitywhether by way of keeping his resolution or because he had discovered that it annoyed Felicity far more than angry retorts； deponent sayeth not。 He invariably met her criticisms with a good…natured grin and a flippant remark with some tender epithet tagged on to it。 Poor Felicity used to get hopelessly furious over it。
Uncle Alec was dubious about our going that day。 He looked abroad on the general dourness of gray earth and gray air and gray sky； and said a storm was brewing。 But Cousin Mattie had been sent word that we were coming； and she did not like to be disappointed； so he let us go； warning us to stay with Cousin Mattie all night if the storm came on while we were there。
We enjoyed our walkeven Felix enjoyed it； although he had been appointed to write up the visit for Our Magazine and was rather weighed down by the responsibility of it。 What mattered it though the world were gray and wintry？ We walked the golden road and carried spring time in our hearts； and we beguiled our way with laughter and jest； and the tales the Story Girl told usmyths and legends of elder time。
The walking was good； for there had lately been a thaw and everything was frozen。 We went over fields； crossed by spidery trails of gray fences； where the withered grasses stuck forlornly up through the snow； we lingered for a time in a group of hill pines； great； majestic tree…creatures； friends of evening stars； and finally struck into the belt of fir and maple which intervened between Carlisle and Baywater。 It was in this locality that Peg Bowen lived； and our way lay near her house though not directly in sight of it。 We hoped we would not meet her； for since the affair of the bewitchment of Paddy we did not know quite what to think of Peg； the boldest of us held his breath as we passed her haunts； and drew it again with a sigh of relief when they were safely left behind。
The woods were full of the brooding stillness that often precedes a storm； and the wind crept along their white； cone…sprinkled floors with a low； wailing cry。 Around us were solitudes of snow； arcades picked out in pearl and silver； long avenues of untrodden marble whence sprang the cathedral columns of the firs。 We were all sorry when we were through the woods and found ourselves looking down into the snug； commonplace； farmstead…dotted settlement of Baywater。
〃There's Cousin Mattie's housethat big white one at the turn of the road；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃I hope she has that dinner ready； Dan。 I'm hungry as a wolf after our walk。〃
〃I wish Cousin Mattie's husband was still alive；〃 said Dan。 〃He was an awful nice old man。 He always had his pockets full of nuts and apples。 I used to like going there better when he was alive。 Too many old women don't suit me。〃
〃Oh； Dan； Cousin Mattie and her sisters…in…law are just as nice and kind as they can be；〃 reproached Cecily。
〃Oh； they're kind enough； but they never seem to see that a fellow gets over being five years old if he only lives long enough；〃 retorted Dan。
〃I know a story about Cousin Mattie's husband；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃His name was Ebenezer； you know〃
〃Is it any wonder he was thin and stunted looking？〃 said Dan。
〃Ebenezer is just as nice a name as Daniel；〃 said Felicity。
〃Do you REALLY think so； my angel？〃 inquired Dan； in honey…sweet tones。
〃Go on。 Remember your second resolution；〃 I whispered to the Story Girl； who was stalking along with an outraged expression。
The Story Girl swallowed something and went on。
〃Cousin Ebenezer had a horror of borrowing。 He thought it was simply a dreadful disgrace to borrow ANYTHING。 Well； you know he and Cousin Mattie used to live in Carlisle； where the Rays now live。 This was when Grandfather King was alive。 One day Cousin Ebenezer came up the hill and into the kitchen where all the family were。 Uncle Roger said he looked as if he had been stealing sheep。 He sat for a whole hour in the kitchen and hardly spoke a word； but just looked miserable。 At last he got up and said in a desperate sort of way； 'Uncle Abraham； can I speak with you in private for a minute？' 'Oh； certainly；' said grandfather； and took him into the parlour。 Cousin Ebenezer shut the door； looked all around him and then said imploringly； 'MORE PRIVATE STILL。' So grandfather took him into the spare room and shut that door。 He was getting frightened。 He thought something terrible must have happened Cousin Ebenezer。 Cousin Ebenezer came right up to grandfather； took hold of the lapel of his coat； and said in a whisper； 'Uncle Abraham； CANYOULENDMEANAXE？'〃
〃He needn't have made such a mystery about it；〃 said Cecily； who had missed the point entirely； and couldn't see why the rest of us were laughing。 But Cecily was such a darling that we did not mind her lack of a sense of humour。
〃It's kind of mean to tell stories like that about people who are dead；〃 said Felicity。
〃Sometimes it's safer than when they're alive though； sweetheart；〃 commented Dan。
We had our expected good dinner at Cousin Mattie'smay it be counted unto her for righteousness。 She and her sisters…in…law； Miss Louisa Jane and Miss Caroline； were very kind to us。 We had quite a nice time； although I understood why Dan objected to them when they patted us all on the head and told us whom we resembled and gave us peppermint lozenges。
CHAPTER VIII
WE VISIT PEG BOWEN
We left Cousin Mattie's early； for it still looked like a storm； though no more so than it had in the morning。 We intended to go home by a different pathone leading through cleared land overgrown with scrub maple； which had the advantage of being farther away from Peg Bowen's house。 We hoped to be home before it began to storm； but we had hardly reached the hill above the village when a fine； driving snow began to fall。 It would have been wiser to have turned back even then； but we had already come a mile and we thought we would have ample time to reach home before it became really bad。 We were sadly mistaken； by the time we had gone another half…mile we were in the thick of a bewildering； blinding snowstorm。 But it was by now just as far back to Cousin Mattie's as it was to Uncle Alec's； so we struggled on； growing more frightened at every step。 We could hardly face the stinging snow； and we could not see ten feet ahead of us。 It had turned bitterly cold and the tempest howled all around us in white desolation under the fast…darkening night。 The narrow path we were trying to follow soon became entirely obliterated and we stumbled blindly on； holding to each other； and trying to peer through the furious whirl that filled the air。 Our plight had come upon us so suddenly that we could not realize it。 Presently Peter； who was leading the van because he was supposed to know the path best； stopped。
〃I can't see the road any longer；〃 he shouted。 〃I don't know where we are。〃
We all stopped and huddled together in a miserable group。 Fear filled our hearts。