"I like new things to amuse myself with," she informed Joy. "Now you'll send the maids in." Joy did not like any of this. And she found herself more and more certain that she did not like Gail Maddox. "If she has all those lovers," she thought resentfully, like a child, "why doesn't she stay home and play with them instead of coming over here where we were perfectly happy without her?" But she was too proud to do anything about it, so instead of going up to Mrs. Hewitt's bedroom to appeal to Caesar she went to the kitchen without further comment, and informed the maids that Mrs. Hewitt had decided Miss Maddox was to have charge for the day. The lively chorus of growls with which this was received cheered Joy's unregenerate heart. She did not stay to either soothe or encourage the rebellion. "I've told the maids," she said colorlessly to Gail, returning. "Good infant," said Gail, and proceeded to gather the flowers out of the vases where Joy had herself arranged them a half-hour before, and rearrange them. Joy watched her for a minute or so. Then--"You aren't going to need me?" she asked with a misleading quietness. "Because if you aren't I--I have something to do for a little while." "Not a bit. Run along," granted Gail. "I'll have some toil ready for you when you get back, if you like." Joy was like the lady in the poem, who died in such a hurry. "She did not stop to don her coat, She did not stop to smooth her bed." She fled hatless in the direction of a place that had always meant soothed feelings and comfort generally, the Harrington house. Phyllis wouldn't be there, to be sure, but the place would have her peace and sunniness about it. The children were ranging up and down the garden paths with squeals and shouts of happiness which were, apparently, merely because of life in general. They fell upon her with still wilder shouts; or at least Philip did, while Angela clung as far up as she could reach. Joy hugged all the children she could reach with a warm sense of gratitude to them for wanting her, and (still led by gratitude) entered enthusiastically into tag herself. It was quite new to her, because she had never played children's games, but she found that she liked it exceedingly.... Suppose Gail did go slidingly around explaining to everybody convincingly that everybody else was in love with her--suppose it was even true? Why, even then--when you're young and alive it's fun to go running up and down a garden in the stimulating October air. They ended in the big swing. Philip insisted on doing most of the pushing, because, as he explained, they were all girls and he wasn't. Joy held little Angela fast, and gave herself up to the delight of being swung. Philip pushed her higher and higher, till they were both screaming with pleasure, and, when the swing was at the top, could see over the tall hedge to the road outside.