"But you can't do that," Mrs. Sterling said. "Of course he can't come and stay with you. Why - Mr. Sterling wouldn't let him..."

Before David could tell Mrs. Sterling not to take any notice of this sort of conversation, Mary started again:

"Where is Mr. Sterling? I want to see your uncle, Peter! Dickie and me have been talkin' about him and wondering whether he wants cheering up."

"P'raps we could go and find him when I've finished my breakfast?" from Dickie.

"No, no," Aunt Carol said, "you mustn't do that. You'll see him some time, I expect, but he's busy now. He'll be in presently. Finish up your breakfast like a good little boy and then Peter has got a surprise for you all."

The twins glanced at each other meaningly. They were never impressed by vague promises of surprises, but without further ado they launched into a descriptive duet of their adventures on the Devil's Chair. Peter and David were unable to check them, and as this was really the first time that Mrs. Sterling had experienced the twins in action, she was too fascinated to interrupt.

"I think you ought to know 'bout our adventure," Dickie began. "Well - comin' up the mountain, Mary and me swore a deadly oath that we'd dance in that old Devil's Chair, and we would have done that only his curse must have come upon us... Just as we came to the last and worst bit, the old Devil said, 'No, you don't, Dickie and Mary...' "

" 'Just get out o' my throne,' he said."

"And then, before we could do anything else, and I could leap up there and dance like we said we would in our oath, there was an awful crash and blue lightning..."

"Goin' bang, crackle, BANG all round us..."

"Gosh! it was awful, but we were brave, and then the rain came and more lightnings came out of the throne... Well, it was pretty awful, and so we made a secret call we know and thought we ought to be getting along..."

"'Cos we were afraid you would be kept waiting, Mrs. Sterling."

"An' then it lightninged and thundered again like in the Bible, and we started to come back, and brave David came and rescued us, and down we came..."

"And there was Peter just like a miracle."

As Mary finished triumphantly and wiped her mouth there came an awful noise from the doorway behind them.

"What is this prattle of miracles? And what is the meaning of this breaking of our peace?"

David got up and said, "Good morning, sir."

Peter blushed and said: "These are my friends, Uncle. I told you they were coming, but we shan't disturb you, I promise."

Aunt Carol rose. "Come and sit down, Micah, and I'll bring your breakfast. The children can go outside now... Show them your surprise, Peter, and I'll come and help you presently."