"But of course you did all you could to ease her mind. I know she was afraid you would be vexed, but I assured her that she need not fear. Something more must be at the back of this flight. I suppose it couldn't have anything to do with that young man." Sheila was silent and rather white. "It's most mysterious," added Peter, "as she had no wish to see anything at all of him and was so devoted to you. It is much more likely that she was unhappy about something connected with you. Had you been scolding her?" he asked the question with a half-smile. "Yes. But she could not have been so silly as to feel it so much as to run away. I was vexed with her and told her so." "I am sure your scolding could not have been severe." "Yes it was. You see I was very cross with her. I felt her conduct was disgraceful and I told her so." Peter looked grave. "You don't mean that seriously do you?" The gravity of his face had the effect of making Sheila excuse herself quickly. "Yes I do," she said. "You must confess that Meg was very extraordinary at the concert. I was really obliged to speak to her." "But not in such a way as to hurt her." "I didn't of course mean to hurt her. But it made me hurry to say a thing that I had been intending to say for a long time." "What was that?" "That I felt that it was time for her to earn her own living." Then as Sheila saw a strange expression pass across Peter's face she hastened to say, "I gave her a whole month in which to find work, and you can't accuse me of not doing all I could to train her to support herself. I don't see, Peter, why you should look like that." "Were you tired of your plaything?" he asked quietly. "Dreadfully," said Sheila. "You know, Peter, that I have always told you that some people get on my nerves and Meg is one of them. I see you think me horrid but I can't help it." She was looking at her cousin eagerly, not understanding his expression of face, and hoping that he would not judge her harshly. His extreme quiet deceived her; perhaps he did not think so badly of her as she feared. "And you told her to go?" "In a month's time," said Sheila, breathing a little quickly, for Peter was looking at her so strangely. All the softness had gone out of his face. She felt she was standing before a judge, instead of talking to one of whom she had always imagined she could turn round her little finger. At her answer he moved away towards the window. Sheila followed him laying a hand on his arm. "Do you think me quite horrid?" she asked. "What steps have you taken to find her?" was his answer. "We have looked everywhere in the garden and park and I have sent Walter to Elminster to find out all he can. But he has come back baffled." "Has she no friends at all?" asked Peter. "Except that young man? Did she ever talk of anyone to you to whom she may have gone?"