'You ARE a dear,' said Anthea, and she and Mrs Biddle kissed each
other heartily.


'WELL!' said Cyril as they went along the street.

'Yes,' said Robert, 'and the odd part is that you feel just as if
it was REAL--her being so jolly, I mean--and not only the carpet
making her nice.'

'Perhaps it IS real,' said Anthea, 'only it was covered up with
crossness and tiredness and things, and the carpet took them away.'

'I hope it'll keep them away,' said Jane; 'she isn't ugly at all
when she laughs.'

The carpet has done many wonders in its day; but the case of Mrs
Biddle is, I think, the most wonderful. For from that day she was
never anything like so disagreeable as she was before, and she sent
a lovely silver tea-pot and a kind letter to Miss Peasmarsh when
the pretty lady married the nice curate; just after Easter it was,
and they went to Italy for their honeymoon.



CHAPTER 5
THE TEMPLE


'I wish we could find the Phoenix,' said Jane. 'It's much better