ke that. Uncle Percy and Albert and father and Charles all
said it was quite impossible, and when four men agree, what is a girl to
do? Evie didn't want to upset the old thing, so thought a sort of joking
letter best, and returned the pendant straight to the shop to save Miss
Avery trouble."

"But Miss Avery said--"

Dolly's eyes grew round. "It was a perfectly awful letter. Charles said
it was the letter of a madman. In the end she had the pendant back again
from the shop and threw it into the duck-pond."

"Did she give any reasons?"

"We think she meant to be invited to Oniton, and so climb into society."

"She's rather old for that," said Margaret pensively.

"May she not have given the present to Evie in remembrance of her
mother?"

"That's a notion. Give every one their due, eh? Well, I suppose I ought
to be toddling. Come along, Mr. Muff--you want a new coat, but I don't
know who'll give it you, I'm sure;" and addressing her apparel with
mournful humour, Dolly moved from the room.

Margaret followed her to ask whether Henry knew about Miss Avery's
rudeness.

"Oh yes."

"I wonder, then, why he let me ask her to look after the house."

"But she's only a farm woman," said Dolly, and her explanation proved
correct. Henry only censured the lower classes when it suited him. He
bore with Miss Avery as with Crane--because he could get good value out
of them. "I have patience with a man who knows his job," he would say,
really having patience with the job, and not the man. Paradoxical as it
may sound, he had something of the artist about him; he would pass over
an insult to his daughter sooner than lose a good charwoman for his
wife.

Margaret judged it better to settle the little trouble herself. Parties
were evidently ruffled. With Henry's permission, she wrote a pleasant
note to Miss Avery, asking her to leave the cases untouched. Then, at
the first convenient opportunity, she went down herself, intending to
repack her belongings and store them properly in the local warehouse;
the plan had been amateurish and a failure. Tibby promised to accompany
her, but at the last moment begged to be excused. So, for the second
time in her life, she entered the house alone.

CHAPTER XXXIII

The day of her visit was exquisite, and the last of unclouded happiness
that she was to have for many months. Her anxiety about Helen's
extraordinary absence was still dormant, and as for a possible brush
with Miss Avery-th