up close."

"Giants are very powerful. And usually very rich." Cornelius Allendyce
enjoyed the fancy.

"Yes--and they crush and kill, too."

"But didn't a Jack climb something or other and overcome one of them in
his lair?"

At this Robin laughed and then forgot, for the time being, the mills and
the dirty houses; when Mr. Allendyce hoped Mrs. Budge would give them a
very big tea party, she realized she was hungrier than she had ever been
before.

So full had been each moment of her first day at Gray Manor that it was
not until she sat curled in the big divan before the library fire, a
book of colored plates of Italian gardens across her lap that she
thought of her determination to know more of the girl who had called
herself Beryl.

Harkness stood at the long table putting it in order. Harkness seemed
always moving things about just so as to put them back in place again.

"Mr. Harkness."

"Yes, Miss Gordon."

"Do I know everybody here?"

"Why--I'm sure--What do you mean, Miss Gordon?"

"I saw a young girl last night. And I met her in the hall today. Who's
she?"

"That's a person from the village, Miss Gordon. I don't know as I've
heard her name. Budge mostly calls her a piece. I don't think Budge is
satisfied with her."

"You mean she works here?"

"Yes, Miss Gordon. At least now. She helps Budge. Budge is getting on,
you see. I don't know as I've heard the miss' name. Is there anything
more, Miss Gordon?"

Harkness had a warm heart under his faded livery and it went out now to
Robin because she looked very small and very much alone in the big room.
He had heard Mrs. Budge's hostile sputter and he knew the lawyer man was
going the next day; little Miss Gordon would be quite without friends at
Gray Manor. So he stepped closer to the divan and in a very human,
friendly way he added: "Excuse me if I'm so bold as to say, you just
count on old Harkness if you want anything, missy."

Robin caught the kindliness in the man's voice. "Oh, thank you, Mr.
Harkness. I'll be so glad to have you for a friend. And won't you
please call me Robin? You see everyone who's ever liked me real well
called me that and it'll make me feel homey here."

"Well, just between _us_, Miss--Robin." And the old man went off with a
mysterious smile that even Budge's sour face could not dispel.

The house was very still. Mr. Allendyce was in his room writing some
letters. The early dinner had been over for sometime. Robin wonder