“It’s very wrong for a little girl to take any notice of strangers,” she said.

“Yes’m,” replied Jewel, “but he was—­different.”

Mrs. Forbes maintained silence henceforth until they reached home.  “You may hang your hat and jacket in the closet under the stairs whenever you don’t wish to go to your room,” she said when she parted with her companion at the piazza, “but don’t wander away anywhere before lunch.”

“No’m.  Thank you for taking me, Mrs. Forbes.”

“You’re welcome,” returned that lady, and the long black veil swept majestically toward the barn.

Sweet and rippling music was proceeding from the house.  Jewel tiptoed across the piazza to a long window, from whence she could see the interior of the drawing-room.

“It is the enchanted maiden,” she said to herself, and sank down softly by the window, listening eagerly to the melodious strains and smooth runs which flowed from beneath the slender fingers.  One piece followed another in quick succession, now gay, now grave, and the listener scarcely stirred in her enjoyment.

At last, suddenly, in the midst of a Grieg melody, the player ceased, and crossing her arms upon the empty music rack, bowed her head upon them in such an attitude of abandon that Jewel’s heart leaped in sympathy.

“Oh cousin Eloise!  What makes her so sorry?” she thought.  The child’s intuition had been strong to perceive the nature of her aunt Madge.  “It must be such an awful thing to have your own mother an error fairy.  That must be the reason.  I wish I could tell her”—­Jewel jumped to her feet, but just as she was determining to go to her cousin, the soft-toned gong pealed its mellow summons, and she saw Eloise rise from the piano in time to meet her mother, who at that moment entered the room.

Jewel went into the house, hung up her hat and jacket, and deposited her packages.  By the time she reached the dining-room her aunt and cousin were already seated.  Mrs. Evringham put up her lorgnette as she greeted the child.  Eloise nodded a grave good-morning, and Mrs. Forbes began to serve the luncheon.

Jewel looked in vain for any trace of excitement or tears on her cousin’s lovely face.  Eloise did not address her or any one.  Mrs. Evringham did the talking.  After a question as to how Jewel had spent the morning, and without listening to the child’s reply, she began to talk to her daughter of a drive she wished to take that afternoon.

Jewel discerned that Mrs. Forbes was not kindly disposed toward the mother and daughter, and that they ignored the housekeeper; that Eloise was languid and out of sympathy with her mother, and that Mrs. Evringham was impatient with her, often to the verge of sharpness.  The child was glad when luncheon was over; but before going upstairs she brought her small bag of caramels and offered them to the ladies.

Mrs. Evringham gave a little laugh of surprise and looked at Eloise, who took one with a sober “Thank you.”