sked. "The
floor's soaking wet." She had not to receive any rebuke: Emmy, although
shaken, was reviving in happiness and in graciousness with each second's
diminution of her dread. She now agreed to Pa's removal; and they all
stumbled into his bedroom and laid him upon his own bed. Alf went
quickly back again to the kitchen for the brandy; and presently a good
dose of this was sending its thrilling and reviving fire through Pa's
person. Emmy had busied herself in making a bandage for his wounded
head; and Jenny had arranged him more comfortably, drying his chest and
laying a little towel between his body and the night-short lest he
should take cold. Pa was very complacently aware of these ministrations,
and by the time they were in full order completed he was fast asleep,
having expressed no sort of contrition for his naughtiness or for the
alarm he had given them all.

Reassured, the party returned to the kitchen.

iii

Alf could not now wait to sit down to supper; but he drank a glass of
beer, after getting it down for himself and rather humorously
illustrating how Pa's designs must have been frustrated. He then, with a
quick handshake with Jenny, hurried away.

"I'll let you out," Emmy said. There were quick exchanged glances. Jenny
was left alone in the kitchen for two or three minutes until Emmy
returned, humming a little self-consciously, and no longer pale.

"Quite a commotion," said Emmy, with assumed ease.

Jenny was looking at her, and Jenny's heart felt as though it were
bursting. She had never in her life known such a sensation of
guilt--guilt at the suppression of a vital fact. Yet above that sense of
guilt, which throbbed within all her consciousness, was a more
superficial concern with the happenings of the moment.

"Yes," Jenny said. "And.... Had you been in long?" she asked quickly.

"Only a minute. We found him like that. We didn't come straight home."

"Oh," said Jenny, significantly, though her heart was thudding. "You
didn't come straight home." Emmy's colour rose still higher. She
faltered slightly, and tears appeared in her eyes. She could not
explain. Some return of her jealousy, some feeling of what Jenny would
"think," checked her. The communication must be made by other means than
words. The two sisters eyed each other. They were very near, and Emmy's
lids were the first to fall. Jenny stepped forward, and put a protective
arm round her; and as if Emmy had been waiting for that she