'We said our
prayers in the nursery, but Mervyn says only babies do.'

'Mervyn is terribly wrong, then,' said Honora, shuddering. 'Oh! Robert,
Mr. Charlecote never got up nor went to bed without asking the good God
to take care of him, and make him good.'

'Was that why he was so good?' asked Robert.

'Indeed it was,' said she, fervently; 'nobody can be good without it. I
hope my little friend will never miss his prayers again, for they are the
only way to be manly and afraid of nothing but doing wrong, as he was.'

'I won't miss them,' said Robert, eagerly; then, with a sudden, puzzled
look--'Did he send you?'

'Who?'

'Mr. Charlecote.'

'Why--how should . . . ? What made you think so?'

'I--why, once in the night I woke up; and oh! it was so dark, and there
were such noises, such rattlings and roarings; and then it came all
white--white light--all the window-bars and all so plain upon the wall;
and then came--bending, bending over--a great gray darkness--oh! so
horrible!--and went away, and came back.'

'The shadow of the trees, swaying in the moonlight.'

'Was it? I thought it was the _Nebel Wittwen neckten mir_, and then the
_Erlkonung-tochter_. _Wissen sie_--and oh! I did scream once; and then,
somehow, it grew quietly darker; and I thought Mr. Charlecote had me
folded up so warm on his horse's back, and that we rode ever so far; and
they stretched out their long white arms, and could not get me; but
somehow he set me down on a cold stone, and said, "Wait here, Robin, and
I'll send her to lead you." And then came a creaking, and there were
you.'

'Well, little Robin, he did not quite send me; but it was to see his
tablet that I came down this morning; so he brought me after all. He was
my very dear Cousin Humfrey, and I like you for having been his little
friend. Will you be mine, too, and let me help you, if I can? and if
your papa and mamma give leave, come and see me, and play with the little
girl and boy who live with me?'

'Oh, yes!' cried Robert; 'I like you.'

The alliance was sealed with a hearty kiss.

'But,' said Robert, 'you must ask Mademoiselle; papa and mamma are away!'

'And how was it no one ever missed you?'

Robert was far less surprised at this than she was; for, like all
children, to be left behind appeared to him a contingency rather probable
than otherwise.

He was a fine-looking boy, with dark gray, thoughtful eyes, and a
pleasant countenance; but his nerves ha