ng the said porter,
he put the basket carefully on the seat.

"I've been on the lookout for you," he remarked calmly.

"Oh," said Trix, a trifle surprised.

Doctor Hilary sat down, keeping, however, one eye towards the platform.

"Yes," he continued, still calmly. "The Duchessa happened to tell me
yesterday that you were coming, and as I happened to be in Exeter to-day
I thought we might as well do this bit of the journey together."

"I see," said Trix.

Doctor Hilary looked up. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked quickly.

"Mind!" echoed Trix, "I am quite delighted. I've been so bored, and
rather tired, and--yes, I think quite depressed."

Doctor Hilary looked concerned.

"You poor little thing," he said. "And I suppose you have had one
sandwich, and no tea. Men turn to food when they're depressed, and women
think they can't eat. Honestly, there's nothing like a good meal for
helping one to look on the brighter side of things."

Trix smiled first at him, and then at the tea-basket.

"Anyhow I'm to be fed now, it seems."

The train began to move slowly out of the station. Doctor Hilary gave
vent to an ill-supressed sigh of relief. The train was non-stop to Brent.
He began pulling at the straps of the tea-basket.

Tea and Doctor Hilary's company had a really marvellous effect on Trix's
spirits. The little pleasant occurrence _had_ happened, and quite
unexpectedly.

"I'm glad you're coming down to Woodleigh," said Doctor Hilary presently.
"The Duchessa has seemed out of sorts lately, and I fancy your coming
will cheer her."

"Oh," said Trix, "you think so, too." And then she stopped.

"Who else thinks so?" queried Doctor Hilary.

"Well, Miss Tibbutt didn't seem quite satisfied about her," owned Trix.
"It was a letter from her made me come. And then I thought perhaps she'd
been mistaken, and I'd been silly to think there was any need of me, and
that--well, that I'd been a little officious. It's a depressing
sensation," sighed Trix.

Doctor Hilary laughed.

"So that was the cause of the depression," quoth he.

Trix nodded. "It was rather silly, wasn't it?" she asked.

"I am not sure," he said.

"It was such an idiotic little thing to worry about," said Trix

Doctor Hilary looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps. But isn't it just the little things we _do_ worry over? They
are so small, you know, it's difficult to handle them. It is far easier
not to worry over a thing you can get a real grasp of."

Trix