“Uncle Pieter,” she began, and he stopped in front of her with the air of being in a hurry. “Excuse me, sir,—but I have just one little question.”
Mr. Van Meter smiled a little. “Well, Jannet, you need not be afraid to ask it. I’ll not bite.”
This made Jannet feel more at home with him and she laughed. “Uncle Pieter, do you care if I go around the old house and find out all about it? I’d like to go into some of the rooms and into the attic, too, perhaps.”
“You are not afraid of Paulina’s ghosts, then?”
“Not so very.”
“Go anywhere you please, my child. Get the keys from Diana, or from Paulina. I’m rather pleased that you should take the interest.”
“Oh, are you, Uncle Pieter? Thank you so much. I’ll not hurt anything.”
“From what I have noticed about you, I feel sure that you will not. And Jannet, I have been wanting to talk to you about the plans for our summer and other things. Come into the library after supper. No, there will be some people here. I will see you to-morrow morning about ten o’clock.”
“Yes, sir,” Jannet replied, and Mr. Van Meter hurried on his way down the hall, into the back entry and outdoors again.
Her uncle had confidence in her then, and he had noticed her, and she could go anywhere,—hurrah! Jannet felt like performing a jig then and there, but somebody might see and be shocked. It would be better to reserve such performances for her own room, whither Jannet sped immediately to think out the campaign.