Mrs. Methuen was having tea with Mr. Wycherly under the apple-tree at the side of the lawn. She came very often to see him for the simple reason that she found it so exceedingly difficult to persuade him to come and see her. He always protested that he had lived out of the world too long to go a-visiting now, that he did not know how to behave in society, that he was a fusty old anchorite whom no one could really want. Now, Mrs. Methuen really did want him, so she came to see him instead, to their great mutual satisfaction, and as it was a fine summer and she generally came at teatime, Mrs. Dew would set it for them under the apple-tree on the lawn, and Jane-Anne was allowed to carry out the cakes and bread-and-butter. On this particular afternoon they had discussed Jane-Anne’s future, for Mrs. Methuen was full of a new plan, and when she had a new plan she was wont to be most enthusiastic. "You see," she was saying, "it would be so much more original than being a governess; they don’t do any heavy work, and the uniform is so charming, she’d look sweet in it." "But do you think," Mr. Wycherly asked dubiously, "that Jane-Anne has any special gift for looking after little children? She has had no experience; why should she be particularly fitted for that?" "She would be trained," cried Mrs. Methuen eagerly; "it is a splendid training, and the girls are so sought after—Norland Nurses are never out of a place——" "Is your nurse a Norland Nurse?" asked Mr. Wycherly, trying to remember if he had seen Mrs. Methuen’s nurse in any very enchanting uniform, but only succeeding in a faint remembrance of a stout, comfortable person who certainly did look "used to babies." "Well, no," Mrs. Methuen answered, a trifle shamefaced. "You see, mother thought I was young and inexperienced and we had all known Nannie such years, and—she’s Nannie you see, and no one else was possible." "Of course, of course," Mr. Wycherly agreed hastily. "I’m sure it is most good of you to interest yourself so warmly in Jane-Anne, and such a career might prove most suitable—but would it not be well to see—could we not bring her into contact with some little child and see how they get on?" "I have it," cried Mrs. Methuen; "she shall go and mind Mrs. Cox’s baby on the days the nursery is turned out; it would be a great help to her. They’re not well off, you know, and she has only one servant besides the nurse, and it will give Jane-Anne a taste for babies: her baby’s a perfect darling. It’s a beautiful idea—so helpful to poor Mrs. Cox and so good for Jane-Anne, and she lives so close, too, only a few doors down the street. I’ll go and propose it to her now and come back and tell you what she says."