And out of a first-class carriage a hand waved back. A quite clean
hand. It held a newspaper. It was the old gentleman's hand.

After this it became the custom for waves to be exchanged between
the children and the 9.15.

And the children, especially the girls, liked to think that perhaps
the old gentleman knew Father, and would meet him 'in business,'
wherever that shady retreat might be, and tell him how his three
children stood on a rail far away in the green country and waved
their love to him every morning, wet or fine.

For they were now able to go out in all sorts of weather such as
they would never have been allowed to go out in when they lived in
their villa house. This was Aunt Emma's doing, and the children
felt more and more that they had not been quite fair to this
unattractive aunt, when they found how useful were the long gaiters
and waterproof coats that they had laughed at her for buying for
them.

Mother, all this time, was very busy with her writing. She used to
send off a good many long blue envelopes with stories in them--and
large envelopes of different sizes and colours used to come to her.
Sometimes she would sigh when she opened them and say:--

"Another story come home to roost. Oh, dear, Oh, dear!" and then
the children would be very sorry.

But sometimes she would wave the envelope in the air and say:--