t she
ought for the children?

And he was at Port Said; only a week's journey.

Why had she left that money in Bombay? Why had she not listened to
Peter? Sometimes she had thought that Peter held rather a cynically low
view of his fellow-creatures--some of his fellow-creatures. Surely no
one could be all bad? Jan had hoped great things of adversity for Hugo
Tancred. Peter indulged in no such pleasant illusions, and said so.
"Schoolgirl sentimentality" Meg had called it, and so it was. "No doubt
it will be possible to find some cheap preparatory school for Tony."

Would he try to steal Tony?

From the charitable mood that hopeth all things Jan suddenly veered to a
belief in all things evil of her brother-in-law. At that moment she felt
him capable of murdering the child and throwing his little body down a
well, as they do in India.

Again she shivered.

What was she to do?

So helpless, so unprotected; so absolutely at his mercy because she
loved the children. "Never let him blackmail you," Peter had said.
"Stand up to him always, and he'll probably crumple up."

Suddenly, as though someone had opened shutters in a pitch-dark room,
letting in the blessed light, Jan remembered there was also a letter
from Peter.

She crossed the hall to get it, though her legs shook under her and her
knees were as water.

She felt she couldn't get back to the window-seat, so she sat on the
edge of the gate-table and opened the letter.

A very short letter, only one side of a page.

"DEAR MISS ROSS,

"This is the last mail for a bit, for I come myself by the
next, the _Macedonia_. You may catch me at Aden, but
certainly a note will get me at Marseilles, if you are kind
enough to write. Tancred has been back in Bombay and gone
again in one of the smaller home-going boats. Where he got
the money to go I can't think, for from many sources lately
I've heard that his various ventures have been far from
prosperous, and no one will trust him with a rupee.

"So look out for blackmail, and be firm, mind.

"I go to my aunt in Artillery Mansions on arrival. When may
I run down to see you all?

"Yours always sincerely,

"PETER LEDGARD."

CHAPTER XVII

"THOUGH AN HOST SHOULD ENCAMP AGAINST ME"

The flap of the gate-leg table creaked under Jan's weight, but she dug
her heels into t