oll up her bedding, and you'll give
her money and her chits, and she will depart."

They had reached a seat. On this Jan sank, for the vision of Tony
pointing majestically down the drive while little Hannah staggered into
the distance under a rolled-up mattress, was too much for her.

"But I don't want her to go," she gasped. "I love her dearly."

"She should not speak to you like that; she scolded you," he said
firmly. "She is a servant ... She _is_ a servant?" he added doubtfully.

"How much did you hear of what she said? Did you understand?"

"I came back directly to fetch you, I thought she _sounded_ cross. Mummy
was afraid when people were cross; she liked me to be with her. I
thought you would like me to be with you. If she was very rude I could
beat her. I beat the boy--not Peter's boy, our boy--he was rude to
Mummy. He did not dare to touch me because I am a sahib ... I will beat
Hannah if you like."

Tony stood in front of Jan, very earnest, with an exceedingly pink nose,
for the wind was keen. He had never before said so much at one time.

"Shall I go back and beat her?" he asked again.

"Certainly not," Jan cried, clutching Tony lest he should fly off there
and then. "We don't _do_ such things here at home. Nobody is beaten,
ever. I'm sure Peter never beats his servants."

"No," Tony allowed. "A big sahib must not strike a servant, but I can,
and I do if they are rude. She was rude about Meg."

"She didn't mean to be rude."

"She found fault with her clothes and her hair. She is a very proud and
impudent cook."

"Tony dear, you really don't understand. She wasn't a bit rude. She was
afraid other people might mistake Meg for a servant. She was all _for_
Meg--truly she was."

"She scolded you," he rejoined obstinately.

"Not really, Tony; she didn't mean to scold."

Tony looked very hard at Jan.

In silence they stared at one another for quite a minute. Jan got up off
the seat.

"Let's go and find the others," she said.

"She is a very proud cook," Tony remarked once more.

Jan sighed.

* * * * *

That night while she was getting ready for bed Tony woke up. His cot was
placed so that he could see into Jan's room, and the door between was
always left open. She was standing before the dressing-table, taking
down her hair.

Unlike the bedrooms at the flat, the room was not cold though both the
windows were open. Wren's End was never cold, though always fre