, Nollie! If you're not ashamed of yourself, no one will be
ashamed of you. If you put ashes on your own head, your fellow-beings
will, assist you; for of such is their charity."

And, receiving another of those clear, brooding looks, he left her with
the thought: 'A lonely child!'

VII

Noel went back to her hospital after a week's rest. George had done more
for her than he suspected, for his saying: "Life's a huge wide adaptable
thing!" had stuck in her mind. Did it matter what happened to her? And
she used to look into the faces of the people she met, and wonder what
was absorbing them. What secret griefs and joys were they carrying
about with them? The loneliness of her own life now forced her to this
speculation concerning others, for she was extraordinarily lonely;
Gratian and George were back at work, her father must be kept at bay;
with Leila she felt ill at ease, for the confession had hurt her pride;
and family friends and acquaintances of all sorts she shunned like the
plague. The only person she did not succeed in avoiding was Jimmy Fort,
who came in one evening after dinner, bringing her a large bunch of
hothouse violets. But then, he did not seem to matter--too new an
acquaintance, too detached. Something he said made her aware that he
had heard of her loss, and that the violets were a token of sympathy.
He seemed awfully kind that evening, telling her "tales of Araby," and
saying nothing which would shock her father. It was wonderful to be
a man and roll about the world as he had, and see all life, and queer
places, and people--Chinamen, and Gauchos, and Boers, and Mexicans. It
gave her a kind of thirst. And she liked to watch his brown, humorous
face; which seemed made of dried leather. It gave her the feeling that
life and experience were all that mattered, doing and seeing things; it
made her own trouble seem smaller; less important. She squeezed his hand
when she said good night: "Thank you for my violets and for coming;
it was awfully kind of you! I wish I could have adventures!" And he
answered: "You will, my dear fairy princess!" He said it queerly and
very kindly.

Fairy Princess! What a funny thing to call her! If he had only known!

There were not many adventures to be had in those regions where she
washed up. Not much "wide and adaptable life" to take her thoughts off
herself. But on her journeys to and from the hospital she had more than
one odd little experience. One morning she no