And so it turned out that Joel, who had to go down in the big brougham with Madam Van Ruypen to meet the mountain children, only just got home from that expedition in time to be whisked off to the other railroad station with the welcoming party to meet Grandpapa, Jasper, and Ben—oh, yes, and Pip!

 

"Whatever you do," Ben had taken special pains to write Joel long before, "be glad to see Pip."

 

And then, nobody knew exactly how they got home. But they did all right, and, of course, with a procession of friends to follow. There was Alexia—why, it goes without saying that she was there—and Pickering Dodge¹; Jasper wouldn't believe he was at home, really he wouldn't, without seeing Pick's face, while Pick's voice cried out, "Hello, old chap!" as no one else but Pickering could say it.

 

Well, and there was Pip's white little face with the scared eyes, for somehow the turmoil² made him dreadfully afraid he was going to lose sight of Ben. So he clutched him with a desperate grip, getting in and out between all the welcoming groups with marvellous dexterity³.

 

"Hulloa there, you little beggar!" It was Pickering Dodge who seized him. "Let Ben alone, can't you, a minute, till we've seen him." But the small figure struggled, his little wiry legs becoming so nimble around Pickering's longer ones, that the tall boy fell back. "Whew! Well, I must say I wouldn't be in your shoes, Ben!"

 

Ben laughed, then put out his hand and gathered up the thin nervous fingers.

 

"You can grin," said Pickering, as he moved off, "but I tell you it's no laughing matter, Ben Pepper. You'd much better shake off that leech⁴ while you can."

 

Meantime Joel had been making little runs around the group of which Ben was the centre; each step that he took nearer Pip he would dart⁵ off again in the opposite direction, only to think better of it and plunge⁶ up once more. On one such occasion he caught Ben's blue eyes

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