“They’re getting ready to go out to lunch.  They can’t be disturbed now.  You can sit here, or walk around until lunch time.  You’ll know when that is ready, because the gong will sound in the hall.  Now when you go downstairs be careful not to touch the tall clock on the landing.  That is a very valuable chiming clock, and you mustn’t open its doors, for fear you would break something.  Then if you go into the parlor you must never play on the piano unless you ask somebody, for fear Mr. Evringham might be trying to take a nap just at that time; then you mustn’t go into the barn without permission, for it’s dangerous where the horses are, and you might get kicked.  If you’re tired from your journey you can lie down now till lunch time; but whenever you do lie down, be sure to turn off this white spread, for fear you might soil it.  Now I’m very busy, and I shan’t see you again till lunch.”

Mrs. Forbes departed and Jewel stood for half a minute motionless, feeling rather dazed by a novel sensation of resentment.

“As if we were babies!” she whispered to her doll.  “She’s the most afraid woman I ever saw, and she looks so sorry!  She isn’t our relation, so no matter, dearie, what she says.  This is father’s room, and we can think how he used to run around here when he was a little boy.”

Tiptoeing to the door, Jewel closed it and began to inspect her new apartment.

The sweet smelling soap on the marble stand, the silver mountings of the faucets, the large fine towels, the empty closet and drawers, all looked inviting.  Throughout her examination the little girl kept pausing to listen.

Surely aunt Madge and cousin Eloise would look in before they went out to their engagement.  Mother had so often said how nice it was that they were there.  Surely they didn’t know that she had arrived.  That was it, of course; and Mrs. Forbes was so sorry and anxious she would probably forget to tell them.

Some altercation was just then going on in the apartments of those ladies.

“We ought to speak to her before we go,” said Mrs. Evringham persuasively.  “Father would probably resent it if we didn’t.”

“I have told you already,” returned Eloise, “that I do not intend doing one thing henceforward that grandfather could interpret as being done to please him.”

“But that is carrying it ridiculously far, not to greet your cousin, who has come from a journey and is your guest.”

“My guest!” returned the girl derisively.  “We are hers more likely.  I will not go to her.  The sooner grandfather sends us away the better.”

Mrs. Evringham looked worried.

“This is mania, Eloise!” she returned coaxingly.  “Very well, I shall go and speak to the child.  She shan’t be able to tell her grandfather of any rudeness.”

In a few minutes Jewel, sitting by her window, Anna Belle in her lap, heard the frou-frou of skirts in the hall, and with a knock at the door, a lady entered.  She was arrayed in a thin black gown and wore a large black hat, that was very becoming.