ond "Good night."
She smothered the great child, too, in a hugely buxom embrace. When
Marie emerged she was suddenly reminded that she had not yet spoken to
Lady Webling of Fraeulein Ernst's attack on the children's souls. She
spoke now.

"There's one thing, mamma, I've been wanting to tell you all evening.
Please don't let it distress you, but really I'm afraid you'll have to
get rid of Fraeulein."

Lady Webling's voluminous yawn was stricken midway into a gasp. Marie
Louise told her the story of the diabolical prayer. Lady Webling took
the blow without reeling. She expressed shock, but again expressed it
too perfectly.

She promised to "reprimand the foolish old soul."

"To reprimand her!" Marie Louise cried. "You won't send her away?"

"Send her away where, my child? Where should we send the poor thing?
But I'll speak to her very sharply. It was outrageous of her. What if
the children should say such things before other people? It would be
frightful! Thank you for telling me, my dear. And now I'm for bed! And
you should be. You look quite worn out. Coming up?"

Lady Webling laughed and glanced at the study door, implying and
rejoicing in the implication that Marie Louise was lingering for a
last word with Easton.

Really she was trying to avoid climbing the long stairs with Lady
Webling's arm about her. For the first time in her life she distrusted
the perfection of the old soul's motives. She felt like a Judas when
Lady Webling offered her cheek for another good-night kiss. Then she
pretended to read a book while she listened for Lady Webling's last
puff as she made the top step.

At once she poised for flight. But the study door opened and Easton
came out. He was bending down to murmur into Sir Joseph's downcast
countenance. Easton was saying, with a tremulous emotion, "This is the
beginning of the end of England's control of the sea."

Marie Louise almost felt that there was a quiver of eagerness rather
than of dread in his tone, or that the dread was the awe of a horrible
hope.

Sir Joseph was brooding and shaking his head. He seemed to start as he
saw Marie Louise. But he smiled on her dotingly and said:

"You are not gone to bed yet?"

She shook her head and sorrowed over him with a sudden rush of
gratitude to his defense. She did not reward Easton's smile with any
favor, though he widened his eyes in admiration.

Sir Joseph said: "Good night, Nicky. It is long before I see you some
more."