and
his absurd, puzzled expression.

He was puzzled. Part of the usual ritual had been omitted.

She ought, by all known precedents, to have put her arm round his neck
and have admonished him to "pray for his Master." But she did nothing of
the kind, only patted him, with no sort of invitation to join in her
orisons.

William was sure something was wrong somewhere.

Then Jan saw Tony sitting at the far end of the seat, hatless, coatless,
in his indoor strap shoes; and he was regarding her with grave,
understanding eyes.

In a moment she was back in the present and vividly alive to the fact
that here was chilly, delicate Tony out after tea, without a coat and
sitting in an ice-cold church.

She rose from her knees, much to William's satisfaction, who did not
care for religious services in which he might not take an active part.
He trotted out of the pew and Jan followed him, stooping to kiss Tony as
she passed.

"It's too cold for you here, dear," she whispered; "let us come out."

She held out her hand and Tony took it, and together they passed down
the aisle and into the warmer air outside.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked, as they hurried into the road.

"I saw you going down the drive from the bathroom window, and so I
runned after you, and William came too."

"But what made you come after me?"

"Because I thought you looked frightened, and I didn't like it; you
looked like Mummy did sometimes."

No one who has seen fear stamped upon a woman's face ever forgets it.
Tony had watched his aunt all tea-time, and this quite new expression
troubled him. Mummy had always seemed to want him when she looked like
that; perhaps Auntie Jan would want him too. The moment his hands were
dried he had rushed past Meg and down the stairs with William in his
wake. Meg had not tried to stop him, for she, too, realised that
something worried Jan, and she knew that already there had arisen an
almost unconscious _entente_ between these two. But she had no idea that
he had gone out of doors. She dressed little Fay and took her out to the
garden, thinking that Tony and Jan were probably in the nursery, and she
was careful not to disturb them.

"Are you cold, Tony?" Jan asked anxiously, walking so fast that Tony
had almost to run to keep up with her.

"No, not very; it's a nice coldness rather, don't you think?"

"Tony, will you tell me--when Daddie was angry with you, were you never
frightened?"

Tony pulled