"Your father was very modest," Cousin Greta said, but she sighed. It occurred to Joey that perhaps Cousin Greta disliked the day together quite as much as she herself did. She made an effort to be pleasant; perhaps, after all, Cousin Greta didn't mean to slight Mums; it was only her stupid way of talking. "Do tell me about Father when he was a little boy," she asked. "If you peep at the glass in my room when we come to Mote House you will know just what he looked like," Lady Greta told her more cheerfully. Joey stared. "Am I like him? I never knew that." "I see the likeness," Cousin Greta said, and was silent for a little while the car flew along the straight marsh road at a most exhilarating pace. "I suppose your mother never heard anything more after the letter from that fellow-prisoner, which she sent me?" she asked at last. "No, nothing; though Mums wrote and wrote, and went to meet the batch of prisoners from Wilhelmgradt after the Armistice, and Uncle Staff went on going to the War Office." "It was a great blow to us all," said Lady Greta. Joey bit back the remark that it was worst for Mums; after all, Mums wouldn't have liked her to say it. There was a little silence. "Gracie is looking forward to seeing you," Cousin Greta went on at last. "Let me see, she is just two years older than you are, I suppose." "She doesn't go to school, does she?" "No, I am afraid I am not quite a believer in school for girls. Besides, she has such a delightful governess, Miss Richards." Joey supposed "How nice for her" was the proper thing to say, and said it; and that remark brought them to Mote Court. Gracie met them at the door, a pretty but delicate-looking girl, very beautifully dressed. When Joey shook hands with her she suddenly realised that her own stockings were darned in the leg, where the darn showed a good deal. However, Gracie was quite polite, and carried her guest off to her own room to take off her coat and hat and wash her hands for luncheon, and then to the schoolroom, where Miss Richards was sitting, playing Halma with a spare, freckled boy who was lying on the sofa, covered with a rug. Gracie introduced Miss Richards, and then the boy as "My Cousin John." Joey liked the look of John, though his best friends couldn't have called him anything but plain. But he had a pleasant and companionable grin, and a much more vigorous way of shaking hands than either Gracie or Miss Richards. "We had better put away the Halma men, John," said Miss Richards. "The luncheon gong will go directly, and you will like to talk to Gracie's little friend." Joey wriggled inwardly at this description, but went and sat down by John's sofa. Anyhow, he looked easier to talk to than Gracie. "I didn't know you lived here," she said. "I don't," John told her. "But I had a smash-up, you see, and Aunt Greta asked me here to get fit again!" "John is in the Navy," Gracie explained. "He's a middy on the ..."