f tender
"protectiveness," I felt quite a pang of jealousy against the unknown
owner of the name, and wondered in what relation she stood to him and
why her thought of him should bring such evident pain. However, she did
not awake as yet, and I had to possess my soul in patience for this and
all the other enlightenment I longed for.

I must have slept at last, for the next thing I remember was seeing a
faint daylight struggling through the skylight and realising that the
fire was nearly out, in spite of my resolve to keep a watch over it. In
making it up I clumsily dropped a lump of coal, and the girl stirred,
opened her eyes, and sat up at once, evidently refreshed by her sleep
and in full possession of all her faculties, and, of course, utterly
bewildered at her surroundings and at finding a perfect stranger in
charge of her.

It made my heart ache to see, as memory came back and she recalled the
(to me unknown) events of the night, a cloud of dread and anxiety come
over her, and her eyes fill with tears at the recollection; and if I had
felt drawn to her before, I was doubly so now, when I saw her bravely
brace herself to talk of them, and even smile up at me as she said--

"Will you tell me where I am, and how I got here? It seems to me I have
a lot to thank you for!"

I told her as briefly as I could the happenings of the night as far as I
knew them, and then said--

"Now I am burning to hear your adventures, and longing to help you to
get back to your friends; but I beg of you not to tell me more than you
feel inclined, nor to put any strain on yourself at present, but just
tell me sufficient for me to know how to act for you."

She assured me she felt quite well, except for a headache (which
certainly was only to be expected with such a bruise on her poor white
forehead), and would like to tell me everything, as it would be a relief
to her mind to do so, and with the most charming little blush she
added--

"I feel so sure you will know just what is best to be done, and I
should like to confide my fears to you."

So, whilst I busied myself in getting a sort of hasty breakfast ready,
partly because we both needed it, but more for the sake of making it
easier for her to speak of things which might be painful for her to
mention with my eyes upon her, she told me all, and it was quite amazing
how simply everything was explained.

Her name--which she mentioned no doubt because I had carefully told her
mine-