Tell Bennett to show my niece to the Mauve Room and to attend her,"
said Mrs. Chichester to the footman. Then turning to Peg she dismissed
her.

"Go with him."

"Yes, aunt," replied Peg. "An' I am goin' to thry and do everythin' ye
want me to. I will, indade I will."

Her little heart was craving for some show of kindness. If she was
going to stay there she would make the best of it. She would make some
friendly advances to them. She held her hand out to Mrs. Chichester:

"I'm sure I'm very grateful to you for taking me to live with yez here.
An' me father will be too. But ye see it's all so strange to me here,
an' I'm so far away--an' I miss me father so much."

Mrs. Chichester, ignoring the outstretched hand, stopped her
peremptorily:

"Go with him!" and she pointed up the stairs, on the first landing of
which stood the portly Jarvis waiting to conduct Peg out of the
family's sight.

Peg dropped a little curtsey to Mrs. Chichester, smiled at Ethel,
looked loftily at Alaric, then ran up the stairs and, following the
footman's index finger pointing the way, she disappeared from Mrs.
Chichester's unhappy gaze.

The three tortured people looked at each other in dismay.

"Awful!" said Alaric.

"Terrible!" agreed Mrs. Chichester.

"Dreadful!" nodded Ethel.

"It's our unlucky day, mater!" added Alaric. "One thing is absolutely
necessary," Mrs. Chichester went on to say, "she must be kept away from
every one for the present."

"I should say so!" cried Alaric energetically. Suddenly he ejaculated:
"Good Lord! Jerry! HE mustn't see her. He'd laugh his head off at the
idea of my having a relation like her. He'll probably run in to lunch."

"Then she must remain in her room until he's gone," said Mrs.
Chichester, determinedly. "I'll go into town now and order some things
for her and see about tutors. She must be taught and at once."

"Why put up with this annoyance at all?" asked Ethel, for the first
time showing any real interest.

Mrs. Chichester put her arm around Ethel and a gentle look came into
her eyes as she said:

"One thousand pounds a year--that is the reason--and rather than you or
Alaric should have to make any sacrifice, dear, or have any discomfort,
I would put up with worse than that."

Ethel thought a moment before she replied reflectively:

"Yes, I suppose you would. I wouldn't," and she went up the stairs.
When she was little more than half way up Alaric, who had been watching
her nerv