ooping-cough, or rather Lady Nearn, their mother,
was afraid they had, and so she had told the Barrys they mustn't come to
the house.

Of course we only heard all that afterwards.

We walked home from the dancing with Miss Stirling. She came with us
sometimes, and sometimes mother, and now and then only nurse. For as the
class was on Saturday afternoon, it wouldn't have done for Miss Stirling
always to take us, as it was giving up part of her holiday. That first
day mother was busy or engaged, otherwise she would have come herself.

It was getting dusk already as we went home; it was a dull afternoon,
looking as if it was going to rain.

'I do hope it's not going to be wet to-morrow,' said Hebe. 'I like it to
be fine on Sunday.'

Anne started at this. She had been walking very silently, scarcely
talking at all.

'Is to-morrow Sunday?' she said. 'I'd quite forgotten. Oh, I do wish it
wasn't. There's no post on Sunday, you know, Jack.'

She was next me, and I don't think any one else heard what she said.

'What do you mean?' I said. 'There's never any post on Sunday in London.
What does it matter?'

'About the brooch, of course,' she answered. 'You see, if Flossy tells
her mother what we said, and they send to find out, _perhaps_ Mrs. Barry
would write to mums to-night; and if it wasn't Sunday, the letter would
come to-morrow morning.'

I felt quite provoked with her.

'Anne,' I said, and I daresay I spoke rather crossly, 'you're really
silly. It's just as unlikely as it can be that it's mums' thing, and
you'd much better put out of your head that it could be. You'll get
yourself into a fidget, and then mums will think there's something new
the matter, and----'

'I'm not going to tell her anything about it, I've said so already,'
interrupted Anne, rather crossly too. 'I'm always being told to put
things out of my head now; it would have been better if they hadn't been
so much put _in_ my head. I wouldn't have been half so miserable all
this time if you hadn't all gone on so about it's being my fault that
the horrid thing was lost,' and she gave a little sob, half of anger,
half of unhappiness.

I was very sorry for her, and I was vexed with myself for having begun
about it at the dancing class just when Anne might have forgotten it a
little.

'If--just _supposing_ Mrs. Barry thought it was it, she'd very likely
send a note round to say; Rodney Square is quite near us,' said Hebe,
who always thought of s