Mr. Cordyce had been planning this day for more than a week. He had sent his most trusted foreman to his own beautiful home, to superintend matters there. The house was being remodeled , after Mr. Cordyce's own plans, and everywhere were carpenters, painters and decorators.  
On the very day that Mr. Cordyce received word that it was finished, he suggested the drive.
 
"Do you live all alone, Grandfather?" asked Benny.
 
"All alone," answered Mr. Cordyce. "No company at all." At first Benny did not consider this the exact truth. He considered a cook company, and also a butler, and a . And when he saw the array of maids he kept quiet. The house was enormous, certainly. It was at least a quarter of a mile from its own front gate—and everywhere were gardens.
 
"Do you live here?" said Henry, thunderstruck, as they rolled quietly along the beautiful drive.
 
"You do, too, if you like it," observed his grandfather, watching his face.
 
The inside of the house was more wonderful than even the older children had ever dreamed. The rugs were so thick and soft that no footfall could be heard. Everywhere were flowers. The great stairway with steps of marble rose from the center of the big hallway. But it was upstairs that the children felt most at home.
 
Here the rooms were not quite so large. They were sunny and homelike.
 
"This is Violet's room!" cried Benny. It was unmistakable. There were violets on the wallpaper. The bed was snow white with a thick quilt of violet silk. On the little table were English violets, pouring their into the room.
 
"What a beautiful room!" sighed Violet, sinking down into one of the soft cushioned chairs.
 
But all the children shouted when they saw Benny's room. The wallpaper was blue, covered with large figures of cats and dogs, the Three Bears, and Peter Rabbit. There was a swinging rocking-horse, nearly as large as a real horse, a blackboard, a tool chest, and low tables and chairs exactly the right size for Benny. There was an electric train with cars nearly as large as the little boy himself.
 
"Can I run the cars all day?" asked Benny.
 
"Oh, no," replied Henry quickly. "You're going to school as soon as it begins."
 
This was the first that his grandfather had heard about school, but he agreed with Henry, and to himself.
 
"The finest schools in the country," he said. This came true, for all the children finally went to the public schools, and are they not the finest schools in the country?
 
In Jess' room Benny discovered a bed for Watch. It was, in fact, a regular dog's straw , but it was lined with heavy quilted silk and padded with wool. Watch got in at once, in every corner, turned around three times, and lay down.
 
Just then a distant doorbell rang. It had such a low, musical chime that the children listened delightedly, never once giving a thought as to who it might be.
 
But almost at once a soft-footed servant appeared, saying that a man wanted to see Mr. Cordyce "about the dog." The moment Jess heard that word "dog" she was frightened. She had never thought Watch a common dog, and it always made her uncomfortable to see passers-by gaze at him as he ran by her side.
 
"They won't take Watch away?" she whispered to Henry, her breath almost gone.
 
"Indeed they will not!" declared Henry. "We'll never, never give him up."
 
However, Henry followed his grandfather and Jess with great anxiety.
 
It was indeed about Watch that the man wanted to talk, and Jess' heart sank again when she saw the dog jump delightedly upon the man, and return his with short barks.
 
"He's a runaway, sir, from my out in Townsend," the man explained to Mr. Cordyce. "I have two hundred Airedales out there, and this one was sold the day before he ran away. So you see I have to turn him over to the lady I sold him to."
 
&qu............