That same day it happened that rumours were brought to Mrs. Cole
through Rose, the housemaid, or some other medium for the first
time, of Miss Jones's incapacity.

That evening Jeremy was spending his last half-hour before bedtime
in his mother's room happily in a corner with his toy village. He
suddenly heard his mother say to Aunt Amy:

"I'm afraid Miss Jones won't do. I thought she was managing the
children, but now I hear that she can't keep order at all. I'm
sorry--it's so difficult to get anyone."

Jeremy sprang up from the floor, startling the ladies, who had
forgotten that he was there.

"She's all right," he cried. "Really she is, Mother. We're going to
be as good as anything, really we are. You won't send her away, will
you?”

"My dear Jeremy," his mother said, "I'd forgotten you were there.
Rose says you don't do anything Miss Jones tells you."

"Rose is silly," he answered. "She doesn't know anything about it.
But you will keep her, won't you, Mother?"

"I don't know--if she can't manage you--"

"But she can manage us. We'll be good as anything, I promise. You
will keep her, won't you, Mother?"