ervously. 'I do not know who you are, and yet you
must be a friend.'

'I am Ursula Garston, a very close friend of your sister Gladys, and
I have been nursing her in this last illness.'

'What! has she been ill?' he asked anxiously. And when I had given him
full particulars he questioned me again about Leah's confession, and I
had to repeat all I could remember of her words.

'Then I was not cleared when you spoke to me at Hyde Park Gate?' he
returned, with a relieved air. 'So it did not matter my giving you the
slip. You frightened me horribly, Miss Garston, I can tell you that. I
saw those advertisements, too, to Jack Poynter, and I was very near
leaving the country; but I am glad I held on, as Phil advised,' drawing
a long breath as he spoke.

CHAPTER XLVII

'AT LAST, URSULA, AT LAST!'

We were interrupted at this moment by the landlady's voice calling to
Eric from the bottom of the stairs.

'Jack,--I say, Jack, what has become of the steak I promised to cook for
you? I'll be bound Jenny has eaten it.'

Eric gave a short laugh and went out into the passage, and I heard him
say, in rather a low voice,--

'A lady, a friend of my sister's, has just brought me some news. I expect
she is as tired and hungry as I am. Do you think,' coaxingly, 'that you
could get tea for us in the parlour, Mrs. Hunter? and perhaps you will
join us there'; for class-instinct had awoke in Eric at the sight of a
lady's face, and I suppose, in spite of my Quakerish gray gown, I was
still young enough to make him hesitate about entertaining me in his
bachelor's room.

There was a short parley after this. Then Mrs. Hunter came up panting,
and, still wiping her hands from imaginary soap-suds, carried off the
steak and the three-cornered loaf. 'It will be ready in about twenty
minutes, Jack,' she observed, with a good-natured nod.

Eric employed the interval of waiting by questioning me eagerly about his
sisters. Then he tried to find out, in a gentlemanly way, how I contrived
to be so mixed up with his family. This led to a brief _resume_ of my own
history and work, and by the time Mrs. Hunter called us I felt as though
I had known Eric for years.

Mrs. Hunter beamed on us as we entered. There was really quite a tempting
little meal spread on the round table, though the butter was not fresh
nor the forks silver, but the tea was hot and strong, and the bread was
new. And Eric produced from his stores some lump sugar and a pot