e of his air of indifference, it was evident that he was in
considerable pain, and as soon as he saw that deception could not be
kept up, he sank down in a chair, as if thankful to give up the strain.

"Turned my foot a little, that's all! Afraid the ankle has gone wrong!"

"Turned your foot! When did you do that? Must have given it a wrench
getting over some of those stiles to-day, I suppose; but you did not
speak of it at the time. You felt nothing walking home?"

"No!"

"It has just begun to trouble you now? Pretty badly too, I'm afraid,
for you look pale, old fellow. Come, we must have off that boot, and
get the leg up on a sofa! It won't do to let it hang down like that.
I'll take you upstairs and doctor it properly, for if there is one thing
I do flatter myself I understand, it is how to treat a sprained ankle.
Will you come now, or wait until after lunch?"

"Oh, have your lunch first, please! It will be time enough when you
have finished. It would be too bad to take you away now, when Peggy has
had so much trouble to prepare a meal for us!"

Hector smiled at the girl in encouraging fashion, but there was no
answering smile upon Peggy's face. She stood up stiff and straight, her
brows puckered in lines of distress. Hector's evasive answers had not
deceived her, for she knew too well that the accident had happened
after, not before, he had reached Yew Hedge. In some fashion he had
strained his foot in mounting the ladder, and he was now trying to
screen her from the result of her carelessness. To allow such a thing
as that, however, was not Peggy Saville's way. Her eyes gleamed, and
her voice rang out clear and distinct.

"I am afraid it is I who am to blame. I am afraid you hurt yourself
climbing into the store-room for me. You were quite well when you came
in, so that must have been how it happened. You stepped on a box in
getting through, and it gave way beneath you, and turned your ankle.
That was it, wasn't it?"

"I--I'm afraid it was. It was stupid of me not to look where I was
going. I thought at the time that it was only a wrench, but it seems to
be growing worse."

"Box! Store-room! Climbing! What on earth are you talking about?"
echoed Colonel Saville, looking in bewilderment from one speaker to
another. "You two have been up to some mischief together since we
arrived. What was it? I don't understand."

"Oh, nothing at all! Peggy wanted to get into the store-room witho