as horrified at the
look of angry despair on the child's face.

"What's happened?" she asked, and then, suddenly, she saw Jack's blazing
eyes.

"J-Janet," he began, stuttering in his rage, "either that cat is shot
to-day, or I leave this house for ever."

Even in the midst of poor Janet's agitation, she could not help smiling
at the melodramatic tone in which the usually self-contained Jack uttered
his threat. Still--

"It was very, very wrong of you, Timmy, to bring back your cat to-day,"
she said sternly. "Had I known there was any idea of such a thing I
should have absolutely forbidden it. Josephine is not fit to come back
here yet; you know what Dr. O'Farrell said."

The colour was coming back into Timmy's face. He had a touching belief in
his mother's power of saving him from the consequences of his own naughty
actions.

"I'm very sorry," he began whimperingly. "It was not my fault, Mum. Even
Mr. Trotman said there was nothing the matter with her."

And now Jack was beginning to repent of his hasty, cruel words. He was as
angry as ever with Timmy, but he was ashamed of having spoken as he had
done to Janet--the woman who, as he knew deep in his heart, was not only
the best of step-mothers, but the best of friends, to his sisters and
himself.

"Of course I don't mind her being at Trotman's, but I do very much object
to her being here," he said ungraciously.

"I'll see about her being sent back to Epsom to-day," said Janet quietly.
She turned to her son: "Now then, Timmy, I'm afraid we shall have to ask
poor Godfrey to start back at once after tea."

"Oh, I say," called out Jack awkwardly. "I don't want the cat to go as
soon as that, Janet. To-morrow will do all right. All I ask is that the
brute shall be taken away before it has a chance of seeing Mrs. Crofton
again."

"Very well; the cat shall go to-morrow."

Drawing her little boy quickly after her, Janet left the drawing-room,
crossed the corridor, walked into the empty schoolroom, and then, to
Timmy's unutterable surprise, burst into bitter tears.

Now Timmy had never seen his mother cry--and she herself was very much
taken aback. She would have given a great deal to have been left alone
just then to have her cry out, but Timmy's scared little face touched
her.

"I can't think why you did it," she sobbed. "I always thought you were
such an intelligent boy. Oh, Timmy, surely you understood how angry it
would make Jack and Rosamund if you brough