an's salvation to have you
with her, but do you think you can hold out?"

Miss Blake pondered a moment and then nodded her head decidedly. "I
will hold out," she said staunchly.

"You don't know how boisterous she was, and how it shocked me! At last
I grew frenzied, and when Ruth was brought in to me injured in that
way, through her fault, I supposed, I lost control of myself entirely,
and felt that, come what might, the girl must be attended to. There's
no doubt of it, your Nan is improved, and if this neighborhood is not
made miserable by her piercing war-cries, her hairbreadth adventures,
and her eccentric behavior generally, it is all owing to you. But here
she comes herself! Put away your work! Quick!"

Nan knocked politely at the open door.

"Oh, come in, dear!" said Mrs. Newton cordially, and the governess
looked at her encouragingly and smiled.

"Bridget told me to come right up," explained Nan. "Is Ruth out?"

"No, taking a nap in the nursery. She'll be awake soon now, I'm sure.
Take off your things and sit down."

"Won't I be in the way?"

Mrs. Newton patted her on the shoulder. "No, my dear, you won't. On
the contrary, it will be very pleasant to have you here to take a cup
of tea with Miss Blake and me; will you excuse me a moment while I go
and call Katy to bring it up?"

"I thought you were in your room," said Nan to Miss Blake as their
hostess left the room.

"Did you need me? Why didn't you knock? What was it you wanted me to
do?"

"Oh, nothing. I didn't need you--that is, there wasn't anything I
wanted you to do, only--it seemed kind of lonely, and so I came over
here."

"And I thought you would be locked in your own room for the rest of the
afternoon. How dreadfully mysterious we all are nowadays."

Nan laughed. She got out of her coat with a tug and a squirm and flung
it on the lounge. Then she wrenched off her hat (the Sternberg affair)
and tossed it carelessly after the coat.

Miss Blake bent over and straightened the untidy heap without a word.

"Delia is making mince pie-lets for dinner," announced Nan.

"How jolly of her!" said Miss Blake.

"Huh!" exclaimed Nan. "She said you told her to."

The governess smiled.

Mrs. Newton came in a moment later and after her Katy with the tea-tray.

Nan sprawled down on the rug in complete comfort while Miss Blake and
Mrs. Newton sipped their tea and talked of all sorts of things, to
which she hardly listened.

She