he slid down from her seat, her eyes wildly sweeping the room;
Harkness, like an ogre, guarded one end of the table, Williams' bulk
stood between her and the outer door; there was only the one way,
through the glass doors. Head down, she ran swiftly the length of the
conservatory and bolted into the little group of people watching from
the dining room door. Someone big blocked her way. With frightened hands
she pushed at her.

"Want Granny! _Want Granny!_ Get 'way! Uh-h-h!"

"The dreadful little thing!" someone said.

Robin, hearing the shrill cry, rushed to the rescue, and, kneeling,
gathered poor weeping Susy into a close embrace. Over the child's
tousled head she smiled nervously at her staring guests.

"Poor little thing, she's shy!" Then, feeling Susy quivering in her
clasp, she whispered something magical in her ears. It was only: "Robin
will keep tight hold of your hand, Susy-girl, and you needn't be a bit
frightened and by and by, if you're quiet, we'll fill a bag of goodies
for your brother and Granny." But it soothed Susy at once, and, clinging
to Robin's hand, she stared at the guests from the shelter of Robin's
skirts.

There was a little stir among the "best people of the County"--a renewal
of the chatter, high-pitched, pleasant nothings, and side remarks, in
careful undertones.

"Certainly, not a bit like a Forsyth."

"I rather think Madame doesn't know what is going on here."

"Fancy entertaining these little persons and Mrs. Granger with the same
spoon, so to speak."

And, in a corner, Mrs. Granger was raging over the damaging imprint of
two sticky hands on the delicate fabric of her costly gown. For her's
had been the bulk that had stood between Susy and her "big girl," and
Susy had been eating chocolate marshmallow cake with both hands!

Mrs. Granger had come to Gray Manor with the intention of coaxing Miss
Gordon to spend Christmas at Wyckham, the Granger home. But, as she made
ineffectual dabs at the greasy spots on her skirt with her silly little
handkerchief, she put such a thought quite away from her mind.

"Brat!" she cried under her breath, angrily, and from the way she glared
at Robin and Susy no one could have told which of the two she meant.

CHAPTER XVI

CHRISTMAS AT THE MANOR

Christmas without Jimmie was, for Robin, a thing not to think about. And
from Beryl, inasmuch as that young lady affected a stoical indifference
to the holiday, she could get little sympathy.