always wore it when she was dressed up. She
looked nervous and excited.

"Your hair's rough," she said quickly. "Go
and brush it. Martha, help her to slip on her
best dress. Mr. Craven sent me to bring her to
him in his study."

All the pink left Mary's cheeks. Her heart
began to thump and she felt herself changing into
a stiff, plain, silent child again. She did not even
answer Mrs. Medlock, but turned and walked into
her bedroom, followed by Martha. She said nothing
while her dress was changed, and her hair
brushed, and after she was quite tidy she followed
Mrs. Medlock down the corridors, in silence.
What was there for her to say? She was obliged
to go and see Mr. Craven and he would not like
her, and she would not like him. She knew what
he would think of her.

She was taken to a part of the house she had not
been into before. At last Mrs. Medlock knocked
at a door, and when some one said, "Come in,"
they entered the room together. A man was sitting
in an armchair before the fire, and Mrs. Medlock
spoke to him.

"This is Miss Mary, sir," she said.

"You can go and leave her here. I will ring
for you when I want you to take her away," said
Mr. Craven.

[[144]]

p143 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p144w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p145

v?