Part 17 (2/2)

”It's well you've come,” he said as he got up. ”I can't fasten my collar or my tie. I've had a devil of a time. My fingers are all thumbs and I'm most detestably sticky.”

He told Jan about Meg. She fastened his collar and arranged his tie in the neatest of bows. Then she kissed him on both cheeks and told him not to worry.

”How can one refrain from worrying when the works of the devil and the selfishness of man are made manifest as they have been to-day? But for the infinite mercy of G.o.d, where would that poor silly child have been?”

”It's just because the infinite mercy of G.o.d is so much stronger than the works of the devil or the selfishness of man, that you needn't worry,” said Jan.

Anthony put his hands on Jan's shoulders and held her away from him.

”Do you know,” he said, ”I shall always like Hannah better after this.

In spite of her moustache and her grimness, that child was sure Hannah would take her in, whether any of us were here or not. Now, how did she know?”

”Because,” said Jan, ”things are revealed to babes like Meg that are hidden from men of the world like you. Hannah is all right--you don't appreciate Hannah, and you are rather jealous of her moustache.”

Anthony leant forward and kissed his tall young daughter: ”You are a great comfort, Jan,” he said. ”How do you do it?”

Jan nodded at him. ”It will all straighten out--don't you worry,” she said.

All the same, there was plenty of worry for everybody. The man, after his fas.h.i.+on, was very much in love with Meg. He was horribly alarmed by her sudden and mysterious disappearance. No one had seen her go, no one had noticed her.

He got into a panic, and motored back to the Trents', arriving there just before dinner. Mrs. Trent, tired and cross after a wet picnic, had, of course, read Meg's note, thought it very casual of the girl and was justly incensed.

On finding they knew no more of Meg's movements than he did himself, the man--one Walter Brooke--lost his head and confessed the truth to Mrs.

Trent, who was much shocked and not a little frightened.

Later in the evening she received a telegram from Jan announcing Meg's whereabouts.

Jan had insisted on this, lest the Trents should suspect anything and wire to Major Morton.

Mrs. Trent, quite naturally, refused to have anything further to do with Meg. She talked of serpents, and was very much upset. She wrote a dignified letter to Major Morton, explaining her reasons for Meg's dismissal. She also wrote to their relative among the weariful rich, through whom she had heard of Meg.

Meg was more under a cloud than when she left Ribston Hall.

But for Jan and Anthony she might have gone under altogether; but they took her down to Wren's End and kept guard over her. Anthony Ross dealt faithfully with the man, who went yachting at once.

Meg recovered her poise, searched the advertis.e.m.e.nts of the scholastic papers industriously, and secured a post in a school for little boys, as Anthony forced his cousin Amelia to give her a testimonial.

Here she worked hard and was a great success, for she could keep order, and that quality, where small boys are concerned, is much more valuable than learning. She stayed there for some years, and then her frail little ill-nourished body gave out, and she was gravely ill.

When she recovered, she went as English governess to a rich German family in Bremen. The arrangement was only for one year, and at its termination she was free to offer to meet Jan and her charges.

CHAPTER X

PLANS

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