“You’re not, you couldn’t be silly. I’ll teach you what everything is.” She lowered her voice. “Should you think, as we’re out of sight of the house, I could take off my hat?” It was on the tip of Janet’s tongue to say, “Of course, take the wretched thing off,” but she stopped herself just in time. She was for a moment outside herself, and saw, not the Janet Brain that had so far existed, but the new Janet Brain, governess to a child. A person whose least word and action were important because they could influence the moulding of a character. If she said, “Yes, take the wretched thing off,” it was established in Iris’ mind that she approved of the principle of doing things behind a person’s back that you would not do to their face. The moment when she saw herself objectively passed in a flash, but her temporary clearness of vision left a thought on which she brooded for the rest of the walk. She took off the hat, merely saying, “You need never have worn it if you’d asked me when I was dressing you.”

“My goodness me, you don’t know how fussy Gladys is about going out to tea.” Janet said nothing. After a moment Iris shook her arm. “Did you hear what I was saying?”

Janet blinked.

“Not a word. Hop along, darling, I’m thinking something important.”

Iris entirely understood.

“I won’t say another word, I’ll sing instead.”

The Haines’ house would always be beautiful, but it was essentially a house to enchant on a summer day. The high wall and iron gates, which Janet had seen on her drive through the village, hid much of the charm of the place. Now, as she and Iris passed inside, she found it was like moving into another generation. The garden wall was old, and had wallflowers and stone-crops in its crevasses. There was a small lawn of the velvet quality, which can only come with age and loving care. There were old-fashioned flowers in the long beds under the windows. Pinks, stocks, forget-me-nots, and more wallflowers.

Barbara had seen them coming; she threw the front door open and Iris tore to meet her.

“Hullo, darling!” Barbara hugged her. “Your overall’s on my bed; for goodness’ sake hang that frock up carefully!” She turned apologetically to Janet. “How do you do! I’m so sorry, you must think me awfully interfering, but Gladys always makes Iris so grand to come here, I make her take her clothes straight off and put on an overall, or else we can’t play at anything for fear of getting her messed up.”

Janet watched Iris disappear into the house.

“I’m thankful. It’s an idiotic way to dress a child, I think.”