II + 

Vernon was welcomed by his mother with an outburst of demonstrative affection. Already rather self-conscious about such things, he bore it manfully. MyraтАЩs first raptures over, she said: + 

тАЬThereтАЩs a lovely surprise for you, darling. Who do you think is here? Your cousin Josephine, Aunt NinaтАЩs little girl. She has come to live with us. Now isnтАЩt that nice?тАЭ + 

Vernon wasnтАЩt quite sure. It needed thinking over. To gain time, he said: + 

тАЬWhy has she come to live with us?тАЭ + 

тАЬBecause her mother has died. ItтАЩs terribly sad for her and we must be very, very kind to her to make up.тАЭ + 

тАЬIs Aunt Nina dead?тАЭ + 

He was sorry Aunt Nina was dead. Pretty Aunt Nina with her curling cigarette smoke. + 

тАЬYes. You canтАЩt remember her, of course, darling.тАЭ + 

He didnтАЩt say that he remembered her perfectly. Why should one say things? + 

тАЬSheтАЩs in the schoolroom, darling. Go and find her and make friends.тАЭ + 

Vernon went slowly. He didnтАЩt know whether he was pleased or not. A girl! He was at the age to despise girls. Rather a nuisance having a girl about. On the other hand, it would be jolly having someone. It depended what the kid was like. One would have to be decent to her if sheтАЩd just lost her mother. + 

He opened the schoolroom door and went in. Josephine was sitting on the windowsill swinging her legs. She stared at him and VernonтАЩs attitude of kindly condescension fell from him. + 

She was a squarely built child of about his own age. She had dead black hair cut very straight across her forehead. Her jaw stuck out a little in a determined way. She had a very white skin and enormous eyelashes. Although she was two months younger than Vernon, she had the sophistication of twice his yearsтБатАФa kind of mixture of weariness and defiance. + 

тАЬHullo,тАЭ she said. + 

тАЬHullo,тАЭ said Vernon, rather feebly. + 

They went on looking at each other, suspiciously, as is the manner of children and dogs. + 

тАЬI suppose youтАЩre my cousin Josephine,тАЭ said Vernon. + 

тАЬYes, but youтАЩd better call me Joe. Everyone does.тАЭ + 

тАЬAll rightтБатАФJoe.тАЭ + 

There was a pause. To bridge it, Vernon whistled. + 

тАЬRather jolly, coming home,тАЭ he observed at last. + 

тАЬItтАЩs an awfully jolly place,тАЭ said Joe. + 

тАЬOh! do you like it?тАЭ said Vernon, warming to her. + 

тАЬI like it awfully. Better than any of the places IтАЩve lived.тАЭ + 

тАЬHave you lived in a lot of places?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, yes. At Coombes firstтБатАФwhen we were with Father. And then at Monte Carlo with Colonel Anstey. And then at Toulon with ArthurтБатАФand then a lot of Swiss places because of ArthurтАЩs lungs. And then I went to a convent for a bit after Arthur died. Mother couldnтАЩt be bothered with me just then. I didnтАЩt like it muchтБатАФthe nuns were so silly. They made me have a bath in my chemise. And then after Mother died, Aunt Myra came and fetched me here.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm awfully sorryтБатАФabout your mother, I mean,тАЭ said Vernon awkwardly. + 

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Joe, тАЬitтАЩs rotten in a wayтБатАФthough much the best thing for her.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh!тАЭ said Vernon, rather taken aback. + 

тАЬDonтАЩt tell Aunt Myra,тАЭ said Joe. тАЬBecause I think sheтАЩs rather easily shocked by thingsтБатАФrather like the nuns. You have to be careful what you say to her. Mother didnтАЩt care for me an awful lot, you know. She was frightfully kind and all thatтБатАФbut she was always soppy about some man or other. I heard some people say so in the hotel, and it was quite true. She couldnтАЩt help it, of course. But itтАЩs a very bad plan. I shanтАЩt have anything to do with men when I grow up.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh!тАЭ said Vernon. He was still feeling very young and awkward beside this amazing person. + 

тАЬI liked Colonel Anstey best,тАЭ said Joe reminiscently. тАЬBut of course Mother only ran away with him to get away from Father. We stayed at much better hotels with Colonel Anstey, Arthur was very poor. If I ever do get soppy about a man when I grow up, I shall take care that heтАЩs rich. It makes things so much easier.тАЭ + 

тАЬWasnтАЩt your father nice?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! Father was a devilтБатАФMother said so. He hated us both.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut why?тАЭ + 

Joe wrinkled her straight black brows in perplexity. + 

тАЬI donтАЩt quite know. I thinkтБатАФI think it was something to do with me coming. I think he had to marry Mother because she was going to have meтБатАФsomething like thatтБатАФand it made him angry.тАЭ + 

They looked at each otherтБатАФsolemn and perplexed. + 

тАЬUncle WalterтАЩs in South Africa, isnтАЩt he?тАЭ went on Joe. + 

тАЬYes. IтАЩve had three letters from him at school. Awfully jolly letters.тАЭ + 

тАЬUncle WalterтАЩs a dear. I loved him. He came out to Monte Carlo, you know.тАЭ + 

Some memory stirred in Vernon. Of course, he remembered now. His father had wanted Joe to come to Abbots Puissants then. + 

тАЬHe arranged for me to go to the convent,тАЭ said Joe. тАЬReverend Mother thought he was lovelyтБатАФa true type of highborn English gentlemanтБатАФsuch a funny way of putting it.тАЭ + 

They both laughed a little. + 

тАЬLetтАЩs go out in the garden. Shall we?тАЭ said Vernon. + 

тАЬYes, letтАЩs. I say, I know where there are four different nestsтБатАФbut the birds have all flown away.тАЭ + 

They went out together amicably discussing birdsтАЩ eggs. + 