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.