or her good. Oh, I despise you! I
cannot help it."

Lucy was absolutely speechless. Rosamund walked along the corridor until
she came to Miss Frost's room. She tapped very gently with her knuckles.
Miss Frost came out.

"Frosty dear, is little Agnes sleeping with you to-night?" she said.

Miss Frost shut the door and came on to the landing. She put her finger
to her lips.

"Hush!" she said. "She is with me; she is in my bed. She is very
nervous, starting every moment. Lucy Merriman told her dreadful stories
while she was out to-day. The child told me about them. Lucy had no
right to tell her. She is afraid of Irene now."

"She need never be afraid of Irene. I wonder if she has pluck enough to
go back to her? If she has, all will be safe. If not, Irene's character
will be spoiled for ever. Is she asleep?"

"Scarcely asleep; very nervous and restless. You won't take her back to
Irene to-night? You know what the effect of nervous fear is upon a
delicate, tenderly nurtured child. You could not be so cruel."

"Agnes is not so delicate as all that. She can stand it. When I think of
Irene, who has almost been saved, who has almost been turned into the
paths of goodness and righteousness, and mostly by little Agnes herself,
and when I think of that cruel, wicked, unscrupulous girl, I have no
patience. Frosty, I have helped you--you must let little Agnes help
Irene now. Don't be frightened. I shall be next door to them, and
nothing can possibly happen to the child; but she must come back."

Miss Frost stood aside.

"Really, Rosamund," she said, "I do admit the strength of your words. I
know how good--how more than good--you have been; but, at the same
time, I feel she is my little sister, and Irene has taken her away."

"For the present, I grant it, and I am sorry; but not for always. Let
her have her back now, for a time at least--to-night at any rate."

"Very well, you must manage it your own way."

Poor Miss Frost wrung her hands in nervous terror. She thought of that
awful moment when she had swallowed the wood-lice. She thought of the
terrible appearance of James when the wasps had stung him. She
remembered another occasion when she had found a leech in her bed. Oh,
how terrible Irene had been! And there was Miss Carter, who had nearly
lost her life in the boat. Then there was Hughie--something very queer
had happened to Hughie on one occasion, only Hughie was no coward. He
was brave and practical. But then, a