Don’t say anything to anybody else about it. It’s all in my hands, of course. Are the cars in order?”

“Yes, everything is okay. I went over ’em last night, just in case I got a chance to speak about going.”

“Well then, go, Phillips, and I hope you will find it a nice place. Perhaps someday we’ll send for you to come back again. Be sure to leave me your address. Good-bye.”

Jennifer fled back into the house quickly. Somehow bidding a trusted servant good-bye so definitely, and feeling that her own act had done it, was like realizing all over again the terrible disaster that had made all this necessary. She wanted to fly upstairs at once and tell Jeremy, but then she remembered the children’s lunch and went instead into the kitchen.

“I’m amusing the children up in the playroom,” she said to the cook quite calmly, “and I’ve promised them a tea party on a tray. I didn’t want them to make a noise while the relatives are here. Please make us some sandwiches, lots of them, and a pot of hot chocolate and bring up some fruit and cake or tarts or whatever you have. Make enough for us all. Jeremy is up there, too. And if the aunts ask where we are, just say we are looking after the children.”

“Why, hasn’t that nurse come back yet?” asked the cook, astonished.

“I haven’t seen her,” said Jennifer. “Where did she go? She wasn’t upstairs when I was up there.”

“Why, she said she had an errand at the store to get some garters for young Master Robin, but she’s been gone ever since breakfast. She ought to come down and help carry up, if you’re going to make all that trouble for lunch.”

Jennifer gave the cook an astonished look. It wasn’t like her to be so cross.

“Why, I’ll try and find her,” said she, “but, anyway, Jeremy and I will help carry up. I thought it was better to keep the children quiet till the aunts were gone.”

“All right, Miss Jennifer,” said the cook, “I don’t mind, only I don’t like that Mrs. Holbrook coming out and telling me what to cook. If she’s going to butt in like that I’ll be giving notice before long.”

“Oh, did she do that, Maggie?”

“Yes, she come right out here to get a drink of water, and she snoops around and pries into every corner, and she seen me getting the chickens ready for dinner and she ups and says she shouldn’t think it was fitting to have chicken on weekdays when it’s just you children and no company. The money by rights should be saved for you children when you come of age and not feeding a ‘pack o’ servants,’ she says, just like that, Miss Jennifer. Pack o’ servants! And leaving you all poor and dependent on your relatives. That’s what she said, just like that! And I’m not one to be talked to like that, Miss Jennifer. Your blessed mamma never talked to me that way, and I’m not standing for it!”

“Oh,” said Jennifer, “she had no right at all to talk to you like that, Maggie. Don’t you pay any attention to her. She doesn’t belong here.”

“Well, that’s all right if she don’t butt in and think she does, but if she does I’m leaving, and that’s the truth! I can’t bear no back talk from one that ain’t a missus.”

“Well, I’ll try to see that that doesn’t happen again, Maggie, but if she comes out again, just don’t pay any attention to her at all. Tell her you are following my orders. Of course, I don’t just know what we are going to do about anything yet, but I’ll agree to see that Aunt Petra doesn’t try to order you around. So, please, if you’ll get us a nice little lunch, Jerry and I will carry it up. Or if the nurse comes in, you might send her up with the trays.”

“All right, Miss Jennifer, I don’t mind going out of my way to do you a favor. You’re like your blessed mamma.But I ain’t pleasing the likes of that nosy Holbrook woman.”

Jennifer went on her way upstairs again thoughtfully.