‘For you to feast?’ asked Harry.
‘Oh, no—that cost comes out of their own funds, Mrs. Blackburn takes care to tell me, and Miss Hacket will find some one in Siverfold who will provide tables and forms and crockery. I must go down and talk to Miss Hacket as soon as lessons are over. Or perhaps it would save time and trouble if I wrote and asked her to come up to luncheon and see the capabilities of the place. Why, what’s the matter?’ pausing at the blank looks.
‘The jam, mamma—the blackberry jam!’ cried Valetta.
‘Well?’
‘We can’t do it without Gill, and she will have to be after that Miss Constance,’ explained Val.
‘Oh! never mind. She won’t stay all the afternoon,’ said Gillian, cheerfully. ‘Luncheon people don’t.’
‘Yes, but then there will be lessons to be learnt.’
‘Look here, Val,’ said Gillian, ‘if you and Mysie will learn your lessons for tomorrow while I’m bound to Miss Con., I’ll do mine some time in the evening, and be free for the jam when she is gone.’
‘The dear delicious jam!’ cried Val, springing about upon her chair; and Lady Merrifield further said—
‘I wonder whether Mysie and Dolores would like to take the note down. They could bring back a message by word of mouth.’