e the room as he spoke.

'Lindsay, you'll look after Helena till I come back,' he said. 'I
daresay Kezia won't be in for an hour or so.'

I stopped him.

'You mustn't send a telegram without telling me what you are going to
say,' I said.

He looked at me.

'I shall just put--"Helena is here, safe and well,"' he replied, and to
this I could not make any reasonable objection.

'I may be safe, but I don't think I am well,' I said grumblingly when he
had gone. 'I'm starving, to begin with. I've had nothing to eat all day
except two buns I bought at Paddington Station, and my head's aching
dreadfully.'

'Oh, dear,' said Lindsay, who was a soft-hearted little fellow, and most
ready to sympathise, especially in those troubles which he best
understood, 'you must be awfully hungry. We had our tea some time ago,
but Kezia always gives us supper. Come into the kitchen and let's see
what we can find--or no, you're too tired--you stay here and I'll forage
for you.'

He went off, returning in a few minutes with a jug of milk and a big
slice of one of Kezia's own gingerbread cakes. I thought nothing had
ever tasted so good, and my headache seemed to get better after eating
it and drinking the milk.

I was just finishing when Harry came in again.

'That's right,' he said, 'I forgot that you must be hungry.'

Then we all three sat and looked at each other without speaking.

'Lindsay,' said Harry at last, 'you'd better finish that exercise you
were doing when Helena came in,' and Lindsay obediently went back to the
table.

I wanted Harry to speak to me. After all I had told him I thought he
should have been sorry for me, and should have allowed that I had right
on my side, instead of letting me sit there in silence. At last I could
bear it no longer.

'I don't think,' I said, 'that you should treat me as if I were too
naughty to speak to. I know quite well that you are not at all fond of
Mr. Vandeleur yourself, and that should make you sorry for me.'

'I suppose you're thinking of what Gerard Nestor said,' Harry replied.
'It's true I know very little of Mr. Vandeleur, though I daresay he has
meant to be kind to us. But what I can't make out is how you could treat
your grandmother so. Lindsay and I have never had any one like what
she's been to you.'

His words startled me.

'If I had thought,' I began, 'that she would really care--or be
frightened about me--perhaps I--' but I had no time to say more, there
came a