Joel, with this thought on his mind, only grumbled out something so
faintly that really Polly couldn't hear as she ran out into the hall.

"Oh, Jasper!"

"Polly, did you know? What _can_ we do?" It was impossible for him to
conceal his vexation. And Polly lost sight of her own discomfiture, in
the attempt to comfort him.

"And father--it will just make him as miserable as can be," said Jasper
gloomily. "And he was so happy over the beautiful time we were going to
have this evening." He was so vexed he could do nothing but prance up
and down the hall.

"Well, we must make him forget that she is here," said Polly, swallowing
her own distress at the change of all the conditions.

"How can we, Polly?" Jasper stopped for a minute and stared at her.

"I mean," said Polly, feeling that it was a very hopeless case after
all, "that we mustn't show that we mind it, her coming back, and must
act as if we forgot it; and then that will keep him happy perhaps."

"If you only will, Polly," cried Jasper, seizing both of her hands, "it
will be the best piece of work you ever did."

"Oh, I can't do it alone," exclaimed Polly, in consternation. "Never in
all this world, Jasper, unless you help too."

"Then we'll both try our very best," said Jasper. "I'm sure I ought to;
'twould be mean enough to expect you to go at such a task alone."

"Oh, you couldn't be mean, Jasper," declared Polly, in horror at the
very thought.

"Well, I should be if I left you to tackle this by yourself," said
Jasper, with a grim little laugh. "So Polly, there's my hand on it. I'll
help you."

And Polly ran back to pick up her ribbons and dress for dinner, feeling
somehow very happy after all, that there was something she could do for
dear Grandpapa to help him bear this great calamity.

Tom Beresford, meanwhile, withdrew from the great hall when Johnson
ushered in the tall, stately woman and her French maid, and took shelter
in the library. And Mrs. Whitney, coming over the stairs, saying, "Well,
Cousin Eunice, did you have a pleasant journey?" in the gentle voice Tom
so loved, gave him the first inkling of the relationship. But he
wrinkled his brows at Joel's exclamation, and his queer way of rushing
off.

"You know journeys always tire me, Marian. So that your question is
quite useless. I will sit in the library a moment to recover myself.
Hortense, go up and prepare my room," and she sailed into the apartment,
her heavy silk gown swishing