e's, and oh! Annie, he looked so
pleased, and he did say you were such a favourite with the matron and
the doctors."

"Stop!" cried Annie, peremptorily, with an evident storm raging in her
gentle breast, to which she was too proud and self-restrained to give
free expression, "you are a greater baby than May is. You are not fit to
be left to yourself--a girl who would speak to any man she might meet in
the streets of London, and tell him all about herself and her family."

The accusation was too outrageous to be received with anything save
indignant silence.

"And then, I suppose, the next thing was you took him to Mrs. Jennings
and arranged between you that he and his sister should board there."

"I did not," Rose was goaded to speak. "When he had walked so far with
me in the rain I could not do less than invite him into the house. Then
I believe he gave his name, and Mrs. Jennings, who has a great deal of
knowledge of the world and a great deal of discrimination," put in poor
Rose with much emphasis, "seemed to like him immensely. She found that
one of her sons knew relations of his in Manchester, and they had other
friends in common. He spoke of his sister, who is with him, and of their
not liking living in lodgings, and who glad he would be if there ever
happened to be a vacancy in Mrs. Jennings's establishment which she
would permit them to fill. She referred him to Susan to see if there
were rooms which the Ironsides could have. It all came about quite
naturally, and was settled in less time than I have taken to tell it,
and I had nothing whatever to do with it. I should not dream of taking
it upon me to interfere with Mrs. Jennings's or anybody else's domestic
affairs."

"I do not know," said Annie, gloomily, "after the mess you have got
yourself and other people into. But there is one thing I can tell you
for your satisfaction, I shall not put my foot within Mrs. Jennings's
door so long as he--as Dr. Ironside and his sister are staying there.
You may keep your friends to yourself and do without your sister. You
can take them instead of me; perhaps you will not miss me or care for
the loss of an occasional hour or two of my society."

"Oh! Annie, how can you say so?" Rose was reduced to expostulation and
pleading. "What has come over you? You must not stay away; it would be
so unkind to me, so rude to everybody, and such a marked slight. We are
all so happy when you come to Welby Square, and I am sure the ch