auburn color, which marked them unmistakably as

siblings.

They were a boy, whom Penelope guessed to be

in the vicinity of ten; another boy, of a size and age

approximately three years younger than the first; and

a little girl, no more than four or five.

“Well, hello,” Penelope said again, even more gently,

to hide her astonishment.

One of the children (it was impossible to tell which

one) let out a low growl. Mrs. Clarke gasped, but Penel-

ope paid her no mind.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” she said to the chil-

dren, with all the professionalism she could muster. “I

am Miss Lumley, your new governess.”

The girl displayed her teeth. The younger boy licked

his lips in a most animal-like fashion, while the elder

boy merely stared at Penelope. Penelope, who had

spent many a useful hour assisting Dr. Westminster at

Swanburne, was not in the least bit alarmed. She stiff-

ened her spine and stared back.

He narrowed his eyes.

Penelope narrowed hers as well. Very carefully, so

as not to frighten anyone, she made a quiet rumble in

the back of her throat that was half purr, half growl.

After a moment, the boy smiled and flopped down

on the hay, rolling over on his back and waving his

limbs in the air. The other two watched him carefully;

as soon as he was on the ground, they relaxed their

tense postures and joined him. Soon the hay was fly-

ing everywhere as the children yapped and tumbled

over one another quite playfully, until all three lay at

Penelope’s feet.

Penelope allowed herself a small sigh of relief. “Well,

I am glad that’s all settled. Now, can you say ‘hello’?”

She repeated it slowly. “Hello, hello, hello.”

“Hallooooo,” the eldest boy replied, in a soft, lilting

howl.

“Ahwooooo?” the middle boy added, with a ques-

tioning tone.

“Woof, ” barked the girl, rolling happily on her back.

Then she grinned. “Woof, woof! ”

It was altogether impossible to believe, and yet,

standing there in the big wooden barn, with the sun-

beams coming in slantwise through the cracks in the

shutters to illuminate these three alarmingly unkempt

children, Penelope realized there was something

strangely familiar about the discovery she had just

made. It was poor Silky she was thinking of: His chest-

nut coat dulled with lack of care, burrs stuck in his