u been doing with yourself all day, Jill?' I asked,
rather anxiously.

'Oh, lots of things,' tossing back her thick locks. 'Let me see. Lady
Betty came to fetch me for a walk, and we met Mr. Tudor. He is all alone,
poor man, and very dull without Mr. Cunliffe; he told us so: so Lady
Betty brought him back to lunch. And Miss Darrell was so cross, and told
poor Lady Betty that she was very forward to do such a thing; they had
such a quarrel in the drawing-room about it. Mr. Tudor came in and
found Lady Betty crying, so he made us come out in the garden, and we
played a new sort of Aunt Sally. Mr. Tudor stuck up an old hat of Mr.
Hamilton's,--at least we found out it was not an old one after all,--and
we snowballed it, and Mr. Hamilton came out and helped us. After tea, we
all told ghost-stories round the fire. Miss Darrell does not like them,
so she went up to her room. Mr. Tudor had to see a sick man, but he came
back to dinner; but I would not stay, for I thought you would be waking,
Ursie, so Mr. Hamilton brought me home.'

'Jill!' I asked desperately, 'have they not written for you to join them
at Hastings yet? I begin to think you have been idle long enough.'

'Had you not better go to sleep again, Ursie dear?' returned Jill,
marching off with my tray. But she made a little face at me as she went
out of the door. 'I shall get into trouble over this,' I thought. 'I
really must write to Aunt Philippa.' But I was spared the necessity, for
the very next day Jill came to me at Miss Locke's to tell me, with a very
long face, that her mother had written to say that Miss Gillespie was
coming the following week, and Jill was to pack up and join them at
Hastings the very next day.

CHAPTER XXV

'THERE IS NO ONE LIKE DONALD'

Mrs. Carron very kindly took my place that I might be with Jill that last
evening, and we spent it in Jill's favourite fashion, talking in the
firelight.

She was a little quiet and subdued, full of regret at leaving me, and
more affectionate than ever.

'I have never been so happy in my life,' she said, in rather a melancholy
voice. 'When I get to Hastings, my visit here will seem like a dream, it
has been so nice, somehow; you are such a dear old thing, Ursula, and I
am so fond of Lady Betty, I shall ask mother to invite her in the
holidays.'

'And there is no one else you will regret, Jill?' I asked, anxious to
sound her on one point.

'Oh yes; I am sorry to bid good-bye to Mr. Tudo