he saw Hester with little Nan clinging to her skirts he
stopped short.

"Is this Lavender House, little girl?"

"Yes, sir," replied Hester.

"And can you tell me--but of course you know--you are one of the young
ladies who live here, eh?"

Hester nodded.

"Then you can tell me if Mrs. Willis is at home--but of course she is."

"No, sir," answered Hester; "I am sorry to tell you that Mrs. Willis is
away. She has been called away on very, very sad business; she won't come
back to-night."

Something in Hester's tone caused the stranger to look at her
attentively; he jumped off the dog-cart and came to her side.

"See here, Miss----"

"Thornton," put in Hester.

"Yes, Miss--Miss Thornton, perhaps you can manage for me as well as Mrs.
Willis; after all I don't particularly want to see her. If you belong to
Lavender House, you, of course, know my--I mean you have a schoolmate
here, a little, pretty gypsy rogue called Forest--little Annie Forest. I
want to see her--can you take me to her?"

"You are her father?" gasped Hester.

"Yes, my dear child, I am her father. Now you can take me to her at
once."

Hester covered her face.

"Oh, I cannot," she said--"I cannot take you to Annie. Oh, sir, if you
knew all, you would feel inclined to kill me. Don't ask me about
Annie--don't, don't."

The stranger looked fairly non-plussed and not a little alarmed. Just at
this moment Nan's tiny fingers touched his hand.

"Me'll take 'oo to my Annie," she said--"mine poor Annie. Annie's vedy
sick, but me'll take 'oo."

The tall, foreign-looking man lifted Nan into his arms.

"Sick, is she?" he answered. "Look here young lady," he added, turning to
Hester, "whatever you have got to say, I am sure you will try and say it;
you will pity a father's anxiety and master your own feelings. Where _is_
my little girl?"

Hester hastily dried her tears.

"She is in a cottage near Oakley, sir."

"Indeed! Oakley is some miles from here?"

"And she is very ill."

"What of?"

"Fever; they--they fear she may die."

"Take me to her," said the stranger. "If she is ill and dying she wants
me. Take me to her at once. Here, jump on the dog-cart; and, little one,
you shall come too."

So furiously did Captain Forest drive that in a very little over an
hour's time his panting horse stopped at a few steps from the cottage. He
called to a boy to hold him, and, accompanied by Hester, and carrying Nan
in his arms, he stood on the thres