known what a
beastly, inhospitable place Beechfield is," said Jack sharply. Though he
was in such a hurry to be off, he waited in order to add: "She's been
here nearly a month, and you've never called on her yet--it's too bad!"

Janet Tosswill flushed deeply. Jack had not spoken to her in such a tone
since he was fifteen.

"What nonsense! She must be indeed silly and affected," she exclaimed,
"if she expected me to pay her a formal call, especially as we had her in
to supper the very first day she was here! I might retort by saying that
she might have sent or called to know how poor old Nanna was! Everyone in
the village has done so--but then your friend, Jack, is not what my
father used to call '18 carat'!"

"I think it's we who are not '18 carat,'" he answered furiously. "We have
shown Mrs. Crofton the grossest discourtesy, and I happen to know that
she feels it very much."

Janet Tosswill looked at her elder stepson with a feeling of blank
amazement. It had often astonished her to notice how completely Jack had
his emotions and temper under control. Yet here he was, his face aglow
with anger, his voice trembling with rage.

Poor Janet! She had had long days of fatigue and worry since the old
nurse's accident, and suddenly she completely lost her temper. "I don't
want to say anything unkind about the little woman, but I do think her
both silly and second-rate. I took a dislike to her when she behaved in
such a ridiculous manner over Flick."

"You were almost as frightened as she was," said Jack roughly.

"It's quite true that I was frightened for a moment, but only because
I was afraid for Timmy."

"I can tell you one thing--she won't come here again to supper unless
I can give her my word that all our dogs are really shut up. And I fear
I must ask you to undertake to see that Timmy does not let Flick out
after I _have_ shut him up."

Janet Tosswill held out her hand. "I think you'd better give me that note
back," she said curtly. "We certainly don't want anyone here of the kind
you have just described. From something Godfrey said to me it's clear
that Mrs. Crofton's horror of dogs is just a pose she thinks makes her
interesting. Why, her husband bred terriers; Flick actually came from
there! And Godfrey says that she herself had a little dog called by the
absurd name of 'Boo-boo' to which she was devoted."

"'Boo-boo' was the exception that proves the rule," answered Jack hotly.
"As for Colonel Crofton, i