at her hand to make her go more slowly. "Yes," he said, "I
used to feel frightened inside, but I wouldn't let him know it, and
then--it was funny--but quite sunn'ly I wasn't frightened any more. You
try it."

"You mean," Jan asked earnestly, "that if you don't let anyone else know
you are frightened, you cease to be frightened?"

"Something like that," Tony said; "it just happens."

CHAPTER XVIII

MEG AND CAPTAIN MIDDLETON

Meg had worked hard and faithfully ever since Ayah left. Very soon after
she took over the children entirely she discovered that, however naughty
and tiresome they were in many respects, they were quick-witted and
easily interested. And she decided there and then that to keep them good
she must keep them well amused, and it acted like a charm.

She had the somewhat rare power of surrounding quite ordinary everyday
proceedings with a halo of romance, so that the children's day developed
into a series of entrancing adventures.

With Meg, enthusiastic make-believe had never wholly given place to
common sense. Throughout the long, hard days of her childhood and early
apprenticeship to a rather unkindly world she had pretended joyously,
and invented for herself all sorts of imaginary pleasures to take the
place of those tangible ones denied to her. She had kept the width and
wistfulness of the child's horizon with a good deal of the child's
finality and love of detail; so that she was as responsive to the drama
of common things as the children themselves.

Thus it came about that the daily donning of the uniform was in very
truth symbolic and inspiring; and once the muslin cap was adjusted, she
felt herself magically surrounded by the atmosphere most conducive to
the production of the Perfect Nurse.

For Tony and little Fay getting up and going to bed resolved themselves
into feats of delicious dexterity that custom could not stale. The
underneaths of tables were caves and dungeons, chairs became chariots at
will, and every night little Fay waved a diminutive pocket-handkerchief
to Tony from the deck of an ocean-going P. and O.

The daily walks, especially since they came to Wren's End, were filled
with hopeful possibilities. And to hunt for eggs with Mrs. Earley, or
gather vegetables with her son, partook of the nature of a high and
solemn quest. It was here Meg showed real genius. She drew all the
household into her net of interest. The children poked their busy
fingers into everybod