vings, yet
something about the eyes and mouth seemed familiar. She stared at it
curiously, and then suddenly a strange, weak little voice faltered out a
well-known name.

"Rosalind!" it cried, and a quick exclamation of joy sounded from the
side of the bed. Who had spoken? The first voice had been strangely
like her own, but at an immeasurable distance. She shut her eyes to
think about it, and the fair-haired vision disappeared, and was seen no
more.

There was a big, bearded man also who came in from time to time, and
Peggy grew to dread his appearance, for with it came terrible stabbing
pain, as if her whole body were on the rack. He was one of the Spanish
Inquisitors, of whom she had read, and she was an English prisoner whom
he was torturing! Well, he might do his worst! She would die before
she would turn traitor and betray her flag and country. The Savilles
were a fighting race, and would a thousand times rather face death than
dishonour.

One day, when she felt rather stronger than usual, she told him so to
his face, and he laughed--she was quite sure he laughed, the
hard-hearted wretch! And someone else said, "Poor little love!" which
was surely an extraordinary expression for a Spanish Inquisitor. That
was one of the annoying things in this new life--people were so
exceedingly stupid in their conversation! Now and again she herself had
something which she was especially anxious to say, and when she set it
forth with infinite difficulty and pains the only answer which she
received was a soothing, "Yes, dear, yes!"

"No, dear, no!" or a still more maddening, "Yes, darling, I quite
understand!"--which she knew perfectly well to be an untruth. Really,
these good people seemed to think that she was demented, and did not
know what she was saying. As a matter of fact, it was exactly the other
way about; but she was too tired to argue. And then one day came a
sleep when she neither dreamt nor slipped nor fell, but opened her eyes
refreshed and cheerful, and beheld Mrs Asplin sitting by a table
drinking tea and eating what appeared to be a particularly tempting
slice of cake.

"I want some cake!" she said clearly; and Mrs Asplin jumped as if a
cannon had been fired off at her ear, and rushed breathlessly to the
bedside, stuttering and stammering in amazement--

"Wh-wh-wh-what?"

"Cake!" repeated Peggy shrilly. "I want some! And tea! I want my
tea!"

Surely it was a very natural request! Wha