first Psalm. She got no
further than "Have mercy upon me, O God." Misery such as she had never
known before overwhelmed her. Perhaps she would never get home again.
Anything might happen in those long, long hours. Everybody might die
in her absence. Perhaps, when she got out of school at last, and
tramped the long miles home, and ran past the shadow of the gates up
the dark avenue, she would put her hand on the bell, and hear it echo
in an empty house. Everyone would have grown up and gone away years
ago, and left her.

The light began to fade from the sky, and Jane could bear her misery no
longer. She determined to run away. She crept quietly across the
floor to the door. As she opened it she heard Miss Courtney's footstep
on the stairs. For a moment Jane's heart was sick with fear; then, in
despair, she ducked her head, and charged for freedom. Miss Courtney
went down three steps backwards way. Jane never stopped. She seized
her coat and hat, and ran out into the street. There at the gate was
the car, with Andy and Mick waiting for her. She gave a sob of relief
at the sight.

"Drive quick, Andy," she begged as she climbed up; "I'm feared I've
kilt her."

"Ould divil," said Mick sympathetically. "One a' the girls tould me
what she done. All I got was a slap with the cane."

Jane was laughing and crying by turns. "Her two feet was up in the
air, but I'm feared thon crack must 'a' split her skull."

When she was calmer Mick broke the news that Toby was not a red setter
at all. "It's a wonder the polis wasn't after yez," said Andy from the
other side of the car, "stealin' dogs out a' people's back yards."
Jane did not mind about Toby. She said it did not matter now, for she
was never going back to Miss Courtney's again. She told Lull
everything that evening. Lull thought Miss Courtney would forgive her,
but Jane refused to go near the hated place again. So Patsy was sent
to school with Mick, and Jane went back to do lessons with Mr Rannigan.

CHAPTER XV

AN ENGLISH AUNT

No one had invited the English aunt to come over, so when a letter
arrived one morning saying she would be with them that same day, and
would they send the carriage to the station to meet her, everyone was
surprised. The children were delighted at the thought of a visit from
an unknown aunt: they had thought Aunt Mary was the only aunt they had.
This strange Aunt Charlotte was their mother's sister, and, Patsy said,