they'd be sure to be up in everything there. He
bought stamps, and asked questions while he waited for change. It seems
that Moore hasn't been at Kidd's Pines for a week, and yesterday there
was a servants' strike. They stampeded in a body; hadn't been paid for
months, but hung on hoping for the best till after the bankruptcy. Then
as Moore lay low they decided the game was up."

"What a homecoming for Patsey!" I moaned. "How _are_ we to tell her?"

"You won't have to, dear," she said. Which paid us out for talking at
the tops of our voices in front of a long French window which I had
opened. She was standing in it.

My bones turned to water, and Jack looked as if he'd been shot for
treason. But there it was. She knew! And she behaved like a heroine. She
wasn't even pale, as she had been when Ed Caspian broke things gently to
her.

"Please don't mind," she went on, turning from me to Jack. "I didn't
mean to eavesdrop at first, but when I heard what you were talking about
I thought it would be no harm to listen. It would save your telling me
afterward. I don't feel one bit worse than I did. Rats leave sinking
ships, don't they? I always thought it stupid of them, because they
might have to swim miles with waves mountains high. _I_ shan't desert
the ship! You've both been angels to me, but now I know that Larry isn't
at Kidd's Pines just oversleeping himself. I want to go there at once to
wait for him. Think, if he came home sad and tired after all his
troubles, to find the house shut up like _you_ found it, Captain
Winston! Would you be so very kind as to let your chauffeur drive me
home at once?"

"We can all three go over directly after luncheon," I suggested.

Can you picture to yourself, Mercedes, an American beauty rose suddenly
transforming itself into an obstinate mule? You'd say it couldn't be
done. But it can. I realized on the instant that unless I sent for wild
horses to tear her to pieces, Patsey would start for Kidd's Pines within
the next ten minutes, chauffeur or no chauffeur. To ask her mildly how
she expected to get in would have been a waste of breath. The frail
young creature was quite capable of breaking the beautiful door down
with a mallet if no easier way offered!

My eyes and Jack's met. Without a word he rang, and sent word to Jekyll
that he must be ready to start out again immediately. Doubtless poor
Cousin John's well-regulated clockwork servants thought we'd lost our
heads, for lunche