thing to further the enjoyment
of persons in a subordinate position, she was, in a way, flattered that
Anthony and his girls should thus single out her "niece by marriage" and
appear to enjoy her society.

Thus it came about that Meg went a good deal to St. George's Square and
nearly always spent part of each holiday with Fay and Jan wherever they
happened to be.

The queer clothes were kept for wear at Ribston Hall, and by
degrees--although she never had any money--she became possessed of
garments more suitable to her age and colouring.

Again and again Anthony painted her. She sat for him with untiring
patience and devotion. She was always entirely at her ease with him, and
prattled away quite simply of the life that seemed to him so
inexpressibly hard and dreary.

Only once had he interfered on her behalf at Ribston Hall, and then
sorely against Meg's will. She was sitting for him one day, with her
veil of flaming hair spread round her, when she said, suddenly, "I
wonder why it is incorrect to send invitations by post to people living
in the same town?"

"But it isn't," Anthony objected. "Everybody does it."

"Not in schools," Meg said firmly. "Mrs. Ross-Morton will never send
invitations to people living in London through the post--she says it
isn't polite. They must go by hand."

"I never heard such nonsense," Anthony exclaimed crossly. "If she
doesn't send 'em by post, how _does_ she send them?"

"I take them generally, in the evening, after school, and deliver them
at all the houses. Some are fairly near, of course--a lot of her friends
live in Regent's Park--but sometimes I have to go quite a long way by
bus. I don't mind that in summer, when it's light, but in winter it's
horrid going about the lonely roads ... People speak to one...."

Anthony Ross stepped from behind his easel.

"And what do you do?" he asked.

"I run," Meg said simply, "and I can generally run much faster than they
do ... but it's a little bit frightening."

"It's infernal," Anthony said furiously. "I shall speak to Amelia at
once. You are never to do it again."

In vain did Meg plead, almost with tears, that he would do nothing of
the kind. He was roused and firm.

He did "speak to Amelia." He astonished that good lady as much as he
annoyed her. Nevertheless Mrs. Ross-Morton used the penny post for her
invitations as long as Meg remained at Ribston Hall.

At the end of two years Major Morton, who had removed from Bedford