rway.

At that a sound like a little gasp went up from the others, and though
the gasp was in some cases followed by a little giggle, to their credit
be it said most of the young faces wore a look of concern that Margaret
should have made her appearance just in time to hear her outburst of the
night before mimicked for the general amusement. Would she get angry
again, or would she burst out crying? From what they had seen of her the
night before, she was quite as likely to do one as the other. But to the
general surprise she did neither, and for the simple reason that she had
failed to grasp the fact that Joan's grief was all a sham, and that it
was she herself who was being made game of. Joan, after one swift glimpse
to see against whom it was she had so violently cannoned, turned away,
and dropping her face in her handkerchief, again appeared to cry
violently. Margaret felt quite sorry for her, and forgetting all her
shyness tried to comfort her.

"I know how unpleasant it is to be laughed at," she whispered in her ear;
"but if you pretend not to mind and laugh back you will not mind it so
much."

But Margaret's sympathy, far from making Joan ashamed of herself, amused
her immensely, and keeping her face turned away from Margaret, she looked
up out of her handkerchief and winked at the others and giggled. But when
she found that no one else was laughing, her own giggles died away, and
she began to sidle uncomfortably towards her chair.

Though none of the others had heard what Margaret had whispered to her,
they had guessed, from the sympathetic expression of her face, that she
had taken Joan's pretence of rage for a real outburst, and was comforting
her; and that in spite of that, Joan should still wish to make game of
her seemed to them horribly unfair. Geoffrey was the first to show his
disapproval of Joan's conduct. A joke was a joke, he thought, but his
young cousin must be taught that she could not make game of a fellow
guest--not without their sanction, at any rate. So getting up and coming
round the table, he shook hands with Margaret, wished her good morning,
and found a place for her next him.

"Come back to the table and do your duty, Maud," he said, as his sister
showed no signs of moving from the fireplace; "or if you want to go off,
let Hilary take your place. There are several of us wanting more tea.
Will you have tea or coffee, Miss Carson?"

"I'll pour out for you, Maud," Hilary said, starting u