In a moment she was back in the present and vividly alive to the fact that here was chilly, delicate Tony out after tea, without a coat and sitting in an ice-cold church. She rose from her knees, much to William's satisfaction, who did not care for religious services in which he might not take an active part. He trotted out of the pew and Jan followed him, stooping to kiss Tony as she passed. "It's too cold for you here, dear," she whispered; "let us come out." She held out her hand and Tony took it, and together they passed down the aisle and into the warmer air outside. "How did you know I was here?" she asked, as they hurried into the road. "I saw you going down the drive from the bathroom window, and so I runned after you, and William came too." "But what made you come after me?" "Because I thought you looked frightened, and I didn't like it; you looked like Mummy did sometimes." No one who has seen fear stamped upon a woman's face ever forgets it. Tony had watched his aunt all tea-time, and this quite new expression troubled him. Mummy had always seemed to want him when she looked like that; perhaps Auntie Jan would want him too. The moment his hands were dried he had rushed past Meg and down the stairs with William in his wake. Meg had not tried to stop him, for she, too, realised that something worried Jan, and she knew that already there had arisen an almost unconscious _entente_ between these two. But she had no idea that he had gone out of doors. She dressed little Fay and took her out to the garden, thinking that Tony and Jan were probably in the nursery, and she was careful not to disturb them. "Are you cold, Tony?" Jan asked anxiously, walking so fast that Tony had almost to run to keep up with her. "No, not very; it's a nice coldness rather, don't you think?" "Tony, will you tell me--when Daddie was angry with you, were you never frightened?" Tony pulled at her hand to make her go more slowly. "Yes," he said, "I used to feel frightened inside, but I wouldn't let him know it, and then--it was funny--but quite sunn'ly I wasn't frightened any more. You try it." "You mean," Jan asked earnestly, "that if you don't let anyone else know you are frightened, you cease to be frightened?" "Something like that," Tony said; "it just happens." CHAPTER XVIII MEG AND CAPTAIN MIDDLETON Meg had worked hard and faithfully ever since Ayah left. Very soon after she took over the children entirely she discovered that, however naughty and tiresome they were in many respects, they were quick-witted and easily interested. And she decided there and then that to keep them good she must keep them well amused, and it acted like a charm. She had the somewhat rare power of surrounding quite ordinary everyday proceedings with a halo of romance, so that the children's day developed into a series of entrancing adventures.