h Fay when she is willing to make it up,"
her mother said. "Tony melts like wax before the warmth of her
advances. She may have behaved atrociously to him five minutes
before--Ayah lets her, and I am far too weak with her--but if _she_
wants to be friends Tony forgets and condones everything. Was I very
naughty to you, Jan, as a baby?"

"Not that I can remember. I think you were very biddable and good."

"And you?"

Jan laughed--"There you have me. I believe I was most naughty and
obstreperous, and have vivid recollections of being sent to bed for
various offences. You see, Mother was far too strong and wise to spoil
me as little Fay is spoilt. Father tried his best, but you remember
Hannah? Could you imagine Hannah submitting for one moment to the sort
of treatment that baby metes out to poor, patient Ayah every single
day?"

"By the way, how is Hannah?"

"Hannah is in her hardy usual. She is going strong, and has developed
all sorts of latent talent as a cook. She was with me in the furnished
flat I rented till the day I left (I only took it by the month), and
she'll be with us again when we all get back to Wren's End."

"But I thought Wren's End was let?"

"Only till March quarter-day, and I've cabled to the agent not to
entertain any other offer, as we want it ourselves."

"I like to think of the children at Wren's End," Fay said dreamily.

"Don't you like to think of yourself there, too? Would you like any
other place better?"

Jan's voice sounded constrained and a little hard. People sometimes
speak crossly when they are frightened, and just then Jan felt the cold,
skinny hands of some unnameable terror clutching her heart. Why did Fay
always exclude herself from all plans?

They were, as usual, sitting in the verandah after dinner, and Fay's
eyes were fixed on the deeply blue expanse of sky. She hardly seemed to
hear Jan, for she continued: "Do you remember the sketch Daddie did of
me against the yew hedge? I'd like Tony to have that some day if you'd
let him."

"Of course that picture is yours," Jan said, hastily. "We never divided
the pictures when he died. Some were sold and we shared the money, but
our pictures are at Wren's End."

"I remember that money," Fay interrupted. "Hugo was so pleased about it,
and gave me a diamond chain."

"Fay, where do you keep your jewellery?"

"There isn't any to keep now. He 'realised' it all long before we left
Dariawarpur."

"What do you mean, Fay? Has