I was going to
do. I hope you told her that I don't want her here. I hope you told
her every bit of that thing I learned by heart on purpose to recite to
her. I hope you repeated every word of it. It's true and I hope she
knows it. I hope--"

"For the land's sake, Nan, do be still," broke out Delia at last after
a dozen futile attempts to stem the tide of the girl's anger. "I
didn't listen nor peek nor anything, and you scream so loud she'll hear
every word you say. You--now be quiet and let me speak--you walked in
your sleep last night. You went into her room and said off a whole lot
of balderdash to her--enough to set her against you for the rest of her
life--if she ever finds out you really meant it."

Nan gave Delia an imploring, frightened look.

"Delia," she gasped, breathlessly, "do you--do you think she heard?"

Delia shook her head.

"Couldn't say for the life of me," she replied. "Her door may have
been open when I came up; I didn't notice."

Nan looked the picture of dismay. "Wait a minute!--I'll go see!" she
whispered earnestly, and tip-toed noiselessly into the hall. A second
later she returned, radiant with reassurance.

"Her door is tight shut, and she's making so much noise inside her room
she couldn't possibly have heard. Sounds as if she was dragging trunks
around or something."

"Perhaps she's packing to go 'way," suggested Delia, with a grain of
malice.

Nan fairly jumped with--well, if it wasn't joy it was something equally
as moving in its way. "Oh, no, no!" she cried, in a sudden fever of
excitement. "I don't want her to leave--like that. Just think how
awful it would be to have her leave--like that! Can't you go to her
and say I'm--you're good friends with her. Delia, won't you please go
and tell her I didn't really mean to say off that speech at her. I
learned it before she came, and I meant to recite it, but when I found
that she was different--so little and kind of--different, I thought it
would be mean to do it, and I gave it up. Do go and tell her, Delia,
please, and oh, won't you hurry?"

"Now see here, Nan," interposed the woman. "Our best plan is to wait
and see what she is going to do. If she hasn't heard, it's all right,
and telling her would only put the fat in the fire. On the other hand,
if she has heard and is packing up to go 'way, why, it wouldn't do much
good, I'm afraid, to try to stop her. With all being such a lady and
so gentle in her ways,