hole of them on your hands,
Miss Ross."

"That's what I've come for," Jan said simply, "to take care of Fay and
the children."

Peter Ledgard looked straight in front of him.

"It's a lot to put on you," he said slowly, "and I'm afraid you'll find
it a bit more complicated than you expect. Will you remember that I'd
like to help you all I can?"

Jan looked at the stern profile beside her and felt vaguely comforted.
"I shall be most grateful for your advice," she said humbly. "I know I
shall need it."

The motor stopped, and as she stepped from it in front of the tall block
of buildings, Jan knew that the old easy, straightforward life was over.
Unconsciously she stiffened her back and squared her shoulders, and
looked very tall and straight as she stood beside Peter Ledgard in the
entrance. The pretty colour he had admired when he met her had faded
from her cheeks, and the face under the shady hat looked grave and
older.

Peter said something to the smiling lift-man in an extremely dirty dhoti
who stood salaaming in the entrance.

"I won't come up now," he said to Jan. "Please tell Mrs. Tancred I'll
look in about tea-time."

As Jan entered the lift and vanished from his sight, Peter reflected,
"So that's the much-talked-of Jan! Well, I'm not surprised Fay wanted
her."

The lift stopped. An elderly white-clad butler stood salaaming at an
open door, and Jan followed him.

A few steps through a rather narrow passage and she was in a large light
room opening on to a verandah, and in the centre stood her sister Fay,
with outstretched arms.

A pathetic, inarticulate, worn and faded Fay: her pretty freshness
dimmed. A Fay with dark circles round her hollow eyes and all the living
light gone from her abundant fair hair. It was as though her face was
covered by an impalpable grey mask.

There was no doubt about it. Fay looked desperately ill. Ill in a way
not to be accounted for by her condition.

Clinging together they sat down on an immense sofa, exchanging trivial
question and answer as to the matters ordinary happy folk discuss when
they first meet after a long absence. Jan asked for the children, who
had not yet returned from their early morning walk with the ayah. Fay
asked about the voyage and friends at home, and told Jan she had got
dreadfully grey; then kissed her and leant against her just as she used
to do when they were both children and she needed comfort.

Jan said nothing to Fay about _her_ lo