"Not now. Really I don’t want to be crabby any more, but you do see that while Madam is so poorly I must look after her, don’t you?" She broke off and a wicked smile flashed at him, "_Why, all the silly fool is in the house for at all is to keep Madam happy!_"
"Jove, you’re quick! I must mind my p’s and q’s with you!"
"Yes, they are rather important letters in your new alphabet!"
When Olwen came into her room that evening to prepare for supper, Sunia was curled up as usual upon the rug before the fire, mending some tiny rent in one of the young lady’s garments. The room was now always warm and fragrant, a well-trimmed lamp on a bracket made a soft effulgence of light, candles were lit on the toilet table, and the carving on the ancient furniture shone with polish.
Olwen tried to shut her eyes to all this creature comfort. As she walked in, she left the door open behind her, and halting in the middle of the room, she pointed to the way out. "You may go, Sunia," said she coldly.
Sunia looked up. Evidently she was unprepared for this, but almost immediately she had herself completely in hand. She rose to her knees.
The woman’s eyes dwelt as if in admiration on the determined little face. "What poor ole ayah done?" she asked.
"You don’t need to be told that. You are a spy, and I won’t have spies about me."
"Your own sahib. He told me all about it. You come pretending to love me, and then go and make mischief. I have done with you. Please go."
The Hindu prostrated herself, laying her forehead upon the buckle of Olwen’s shoe.
"Missee forgive her—forgive ole ayah this one time. She not do it again. Only because she frightened of pretty doctor, he look at Missee with too kind eyes, and Sunia seen pictures in the stars—pictures that say the doctor he come between Missee and my sahib. Ole ayah obliged to warn her sahib—and good thing too, very good thing she done it."
"Why is it a good thing? What are you talking about?"
It was very rarely that the ayah smiled, but the ghost of a smile crossed her lips as she replied, "My sahib angry, and Missee and him they have it out together, and now they friends. Good thing that, eh?"
"Then you were listening behind the curtain in the dining-room while we talked!"