coming with me. Don't let's have no nonsense!"

"I tell you, I'm not coming," said Caroline, pale about the lips and
trembling a little.

"Come! Come! Carrie," said Mrs. Creddle, beginning to cry. "Don't
anger your uncle. He's that wore out he didn't know where to put
himself when he got home to-night, and yet here he is with his boots on
ready to take you back to your place. And he's always treated you like
his own, and so have I, so far as I know how. Many's the little treat
we've gone without, and never grudged it, so as to bring you up nice;
and this is how you pay us back."

"Oh, aunt, I know you have," said Caroline, and her eyes filled, though
they had been hard and dry a minute before. "I do know how good you
and uncle have been. Only I won't be taken back as if I were a little
trapesing general that had been misbehaving herself. I can't!"

"There's no talk of misbehaving," said Creddle. "And I aren't going to
have any. You get your hat on and come with me."

Caroline's face stiffened; then she felt the touch of Mrs. Creddle's
roughened, kind hand on her arm, and saw that jolly face puckered with
crying which had smiled a welcome on her all her life. She gave a
great gulp and walked to the door, Creddle following her.

For she belonged--poor Caroline--to the company of those who can really
love, and they are always liable to give way suddenly when fighting
those they love, because they cannot bear to see the pain.

_Chapter XIII_

_Next Morning_

Miss Ethel came into the kitchen as Caroline finished washing up the
breakfast things. There was a constrained atmosphere about both of
them which seemed even to affect the small fire which burnt sulkily in
the grate, but nothing was said concerning the events of the previous
night.

"Oh! Caroline, I wonder if you would kindly take a message for me to
Miss Temple on your way to the promenade?" said Miss Ethel, rather
stiffly.

But on the whole the affair of the previous night had been less odious
than Caroline had feared. Still it had been rather like an ugly
nightmare, all the same--Uncle Creddle banging on the door until one
startled woman opened it while the other peered over the banisters.
They had thanked Mr. Creddle, saying Caroline ought to be more careful:
and Mrs. Bradford added that some burglar had no doubt picked up the
key and would come and murder them in their beds. But there the matter
ended.

Now, however, with th