Pat had on her blue linen afternoon dress…which, incidentally, was the most becoming thing she owned. Cuddles wore her pretty green sweater with its little white embroidered linen collar, above which her wind-tossed hair gleamed, the color of sunlight on October beeches. Both girls ran, giggling with nervousness, up the herring-bone brick walk to the kitchen door and rushed in unceremoniously. Then they both stopped in their tracks. Cuddles’ eyes wirelessed to Pat, “Do you really live through things like this or do you just die?”

Judy Plum and the Countess of Medchester were sitting by the table, whereon were the remnants of a platterful of baked sausages and potatoes. At the very moment of the girls’ entry Judy was pouring cream from her “cream cow” into her ladyship’s cup and the latter was helping herself to a piece of the delightful thing Judy called “Bishop’s bread.” Gentleman Tom was attending meticulously to his toilet in the center of the floor and Bold-and-Bad was coiled on the countess’ lap, while McGinty was squatted by the legs of her chair. Tillytuck was sitting in his corner…fortunately minus the fur cap, which, however, hung on his chair back. Judy was in her striped drugget but with a beautiful white apron starched stiff as a board. She was as completely at her ease as if the countess had been a scrubwoman. And as for Lady Medchester, Pat, amid all her dumfounderment, instantly got the impression that she was enjoying herself hugely.

“And here,” said Judy, with incredible nonchalance, “are the girls I’ve been telling ye av…Mrs. Long Alec’s daughters. Patricia and Rachel.”

The countess instantly got up and shook hands with Patricia and Rachel. She had mouse-colored hair and a square, reddish face, but the smile on her wide mouth was charming.

“I’m so glad you’ve come before I have to go,” she said. “It would have been dreadful to go back home and have to tell Clara that I hadn’t seen any of her cousins at all. She has always had such a dear recollection of some wonderful days she spent on Prince Edward Island when a child. It was too bad to come down on you like this. But I got a cable from England last night which made it imperative I should leave tonight, so I had to come this afternoon. Your Judy…” she flashed a smile at Judy…“made me delightfully welcome and showed me around your lovely home…and, last but not least, has given me a most delicious meal. I was so hungry.”

Somehow they found themselves all sitting around the table. Pat realized thankfully that Judy had had sense enough to put the best tablecloth on it and the silver spoons. But why on earth hadn’t she got supper in the dining room? And what was the silver teapot doing on the dresser while the old brown crockery one graced the table?