Her voice was unconsciously wistful. Jeanie turned for the first time and looked at her. "Oh, Avery!" she said. "Stay with you and Piers?" Her eyes were shining. She slid a gentle arm round Avery's neck. "You would like to?" Avery asked, faintly smiling. "I would love to," said Jeanie earnestly. She looked across at her mother. "Shall you be able to manage, dear?" she asked in her grown-up way. Mrs. Lorimer stifled a sigh. "Oh yes, Jeanie dear. I shall do all right. Gracie will help with the little ones, you know." Jeanie smiled at that. "I think I will go and talk to Gracie," she said, quietly releasing herself from Avery's arm. But at the door she paused. "I hope Father won't mind," she said. "But he did say I wasn't to have any more treats till my Easter holiday-task was finished." "I will make that all right, dear," said Mrs. Lorimer. "Thank you," said Jeanie. "Of course I can take it with me. I expect I shall get more time for learning it at the Abbey. You might tell him that, don't you think?" "I will tell him, darling," said Mrs. Lorimer. And Jeanie smiled and went her way. CHAPTER IX THE GREAT GULF "Hullo!" said Piers. "Has the Queen of all good fairies come to call?" He strode across the garden with that high, arrogant air of his as of one who challenges the world, and threw himself into the vacant chair by the tea-table at which his wife sat. The blaze of colour that overspread her pale face at his coming faded as rapidly as it rose. She glanced at him momentarily, under fluttering lids. "Jeanie has come to stay," she said, her voice very low. His arm was already round Jeanie who had risen to meet him. He pulled her down upon his knee. "That is very gracious of her," he said. "Good Heavens, child! You are as light as a feather! Why don't you eat more?" "I am never hungry," explained Jeanie. She kissed him and then drew herself gently from him, sitting down by his side with innate dignity. "Have you been riding all day?" she asked. "Isn't Pompey tired?" "Caesar and Pompey are both dead beat," said Piers. "And I--" he looked deliberately at Avery, "--am as fresh as when I started." Again, as it were in response to that look, her eyelids fluttered; but she did not raise them. Again the colour started and died in her cheeks. "Have you had anything to eat?" she asked. "Nothing," said Piers. He took the cup she offered him, and drained it. There was a fitful gleam in his dark eyes as of a red, smouldering fire. But Jeanie's soft voice intervening dispelled it. "How very hungry you must be!" she said in a motherly tone. "Will bread and butter and cake be enough for you?" "Quite enough," said Piers. "Like you, Jeanie, I am not hungry." He handed back his cup to be filled again. "But I have a lively thirst," he said. "It has been so hot to-day," observed Avery. "It is never too hot for me," he rejoined. "Hullo! Who's that?"