Then came the main street--to the Trenire children fit to vie in breadth and beauty with any street in any city in the world--and then home! To Kitty it had always been the greatest joy to come home.

No matter where she had stayed, or how delightful the visit had been, she had always been glad to get home again, and her heart beat faster, and her breath caught with something that was not merely excitement or pleasure, at the sight of the low, broad old house in the bare, wind-swept street, that was the only home she had known, or wanted to know.

But now, for the first time, she felt no joy, only misery and indignation, and a sense of hopeless, helpless resentment that all the old joy and freedom was ended, that everything was to be altered and spoiled for them.
By degrees the 'bus emptied of all passengers but themselves, and Aunt Pike drew nearer to Kitty.

"I hope," she said, "that things have gone on nicely while I have been away, and that the house has been kept in a neat and orderly fashion." Kitty did not answer for a moment, for the simple reason that she had no answer to give.

They had all been too much occupied in making the most of their spell of freedom to observe how the house was kept.