Rose had by no means been idle during the three years and a half which had elapsed since they all parted at Hillsover, and since which time the girls had not seen her. In fact, she had made more out of the time than any of the rest of them, for she had been engaged for eighteen months, had married, and was now keeping house near Boston with a little Rose of her own, who, she wrote to Clover, was a perfect angel, and more delicious than words could say! Mrs Ashe had taken passage in the Spartacus, sailing from Boston, and it was arranged that Katy should spend the last two days before sailing with Rose, while Mrs Ashe and Amy visited an old aunt in Hingham. To see Rose in her own home, and Rose's husband, and Rose's baby, was only next in interest to seeing Europe. None of the changes in her lot seemed to have changed her particularly, to judge by the letter she sent in reply to Katy's announcing her plans, and her letter ran as follows:

Longwood, 20 September

My Dearest Child,

Your note made me dance with delight. I stood on my head, waving my heels wildly to the breeze, till Deniston thought I must be taken suddenly mad; but when I explained he did the same. It is too enchanting, the whole of it. I put it at the head of all the nice things that ever happened, except my baby. Write the moment you get this by what train you expect to reach Boston, and when you roll into the station you will behold two forms, one tall and stalwart, the other short and fatsome, waiting for you. They will be those of Deniston and myself. Deniston is not beautiful, but he is good, and he is prepared to adore you. The baby is both good and beautiful, and you will adore her. I am neither; but you know all about me, and I always did adore you and always shall. I am going out this moment to the butcher's to order a calf fatted for your special delight; and he shall be slain and made into cutlets the moment I hear from you. My funny little house, which is quite a dear line house too, assumes a new interest in my eyes from the fact that you so-soon are to see it. It is somewhat queer, as you might know my house would be, but I think you will like it.

I saw Silvery Mary the other day and told her you were coming. She is the same mouse as ever. I shall ask her and some of the other girls to come out to lunch on one of your days. Goodbye, with a hundred and fifty kisses to Clovy and the rest.

Your loving

Rose Red.

`She never signs herself Browne, I observe,' said Clover, as she finished the letter.

`Oh, Rose Red Browne would sound too funny! Rose Red she must stay till the end of the chapter; no other name could suit her half so well, and I can't imagine her being called anything else. What fun it will be to see her and little Rose!'

`And Deniston Browne,' put in Clover.

`Somehow I find it rather hard to take in the fact that there is a Deniston Browne,' observed Katy.

`It will be easier after you have seen him, perhaps.

The last day came, as last days will. Katy's trunk, most carefully and exactly packed by the united efforts of the family, stood in the hall, locked and strapped, not to be opened again till the party reached London. This fact gave it a certain awful interest in the eyes of Phil and Johnnie, and even Elsie gazed upon it with respect. The little valise was also ready, and Dorry, the neat-handed, had painted a red star on both ends of both it and the trunk, that they might be easily picked from among a heap of luggage. He now proceeded to prepare and paste on two square cards, labelled respectively, `Hold' and `State room'. Mrs Hall had told them that this was the correct thing to do.