t mention the subject before Cyril; he is dreadfully
sore about it. It was a pure accident: they were all lads together, and
he and his schoolfellows were racing each other. I think they were
steeplechasing, and he had Kester on his back. There was a fence and a
stony ditch, and the foolish child tried to clear it; they might both
have been killed, it was such a nasty place, but Kester was the only
one hurt. He was always a delicate little fellow, and hip-disease came
on. He does not suffer so much now, but he will always be a cripple, and
he has bad times now and then. Cyril is so good to him; he has never
forgiven himself for the accident.'

'I can understand that,' returned Audrey in a moved voice; and then
Cyril came back and she rose to go. 'I shall see you again,' she said
smiling, as he accompanied her to the gate. 'I hear my father has asked
you up to Woodcote this evening to meet the Harcourts.'

'Yes,' he returned briefly, looking as though the prospect were a
formidable one. 'I could not very well refuse Dr. Ross under the
circumstances.'

'Did you wish to refuse?' rather mischievously.

'No, of course not,' but smiling too; 'I feel as though it were a
neglect of duty. Look at the muddle in there! and those poor children. I
have been working like a horse to-day, but there was too much to do
upstairs; I left the living-rooms for this evening.'

'You can work all the harder to-morrow.'

He shook his head.

'To-morrow I have to begin lessons. I suppose the muddle must just go
on, and we must live as we can. Biddy is old and worn out, and Mollie is
too young to direct her.'

'I will come round and help her,' was Audrey's impulsive answer. 'This
is just the sort of thing I love. I do so enjoy putting a place to
rights.'

'But, Miss Ross, we have no right to trespass on your kindness,' replied
Cyril, flushing slightly as he spoke.

But Audrey only smiled and showed her dimple.

'Tell Mollie I shall come,' was her only answer. '_Au revoir_, Mr.
Blake.'

And Audrey walked on rapidly to Woodcote, feeling that she had spent a
very amusing afternoon, and quite unaware of the commotion she would
raise in her mother's and sister's breasts by those few innocently
spoken words, 'I have been having tea at the Blakes'.'

CHAPTER IV

MICHAEL

'And when God found in the hollow of His hand
This ball of Earth among His other balls,
And set it in His shining firmament,
Between the gr