y had lingered
for a moment after the others, and she had noticed that the girl's eyes
were full of tears.

"Why, Betty, what's the matter? I don't think we need really worry over
Mrs. Crofton."

"I'm not thinking of Mrs. Crofton. I can't bear the thought of poor
Josephine being shot to-morrow morning."

"Oh, my dear, don't _you_ turn sentimental! I never did like that poor
cat; to me there's always been something queer and uncanny about her."

"You've never liked cats," Betty answered, rather aggressively. "Timmy
and I are devoted to Josephine--so is Nanna."

Janet had checked the contemptuous words trembling on her lips. Abruptly
she had changed the subject: "I want to tell you, Betty, how splendidly
the dinner went off to-night. Your cooking was first chop!"

Betty at once softened. But all she said was: "I would give anything for
Mrs. Crofton to leave Beechfield, Janet. Did you see Jack's face?"

"Yes, and I do feel worried about it. Yet one can't do anything."

"I suppose one can't. But it's too bad of her. I think her a horrid
woman. Jack is just a scalp to her. I don't mind her flirtation with
Godfrey--that's much more reasonable!"

Then she had hurried off upstairs without waiting for an answer, and her
step-mother, looking back, rather wondered that Betty had said that.

CHAPTER XIX

Two hours later Janet Tosswill, after having tried in vain to read
herself to sleep, got out of bed and put on her dressing gown. Somehow
she felt anxious about Timmy. She had gone to his room on her way up
to bed; but, hearing no sound, she had crept away, hoping that he had
already cried himself to sleep.

All sorts of curious theories and suspicions drifted through her mind as
she lay, tossing this way and that, trying to fall asleep. She wondered
uneasily why Timmy had brought Josephine at all into the drawing-room.
Of course there had been nothing exactly wrong in his doing so, though,
as Betty had justly remarked, it was a stupid thing to do so soon after
the birth of the cat's kittens. And Timmy was not stupid.

Janet told herself crossly that it was almost as if Mrs. Crofton had the
evil eye, as far as animals were concerned! There had come back to her
the unpleasant scene which had occurred on the first evening their late
guest had come to Old Place, when Flick, most cheerful and happy-minded
of terriers, had behaved in such an extraordinary fashion. But
disagreeable as that affair had been, it was n