of blue ribbon cut
through and blood-stained. It was in a little case which had been hacked
through by knives. It had been sent home to her at the first when there
was no hope, when, practically, Godfrey Langrishe was a dead man.

"It is not mine, my dear," she said to Nelly, "and I think it must be
yours. I did not dare show it to you before."

Nelly went pale and red. Yes, it was her ribbon, which had fallen from
her hair that morning more than a year ago when Captain Langrishe had
ridden by with the regiment and the wind had carried off her ribbon.

She received it with a trembling eagerness.

"Yes, it is mine," she said. "I knew he had it. He showed it to me
before he went away."

"How furious Godfrey will be when he misses it!" Mrs. Rooke said.
"Somebody will be having a bad quarter of an hour. And now, Nelly, when
are you going to be well enough to come to see my mother? She longs to
know you. She is the dearest old soul. She wanted me to bring you to her
while yet we were in suspense. But I waited for news, one way or
another."

"I should love to go," Nelly said.

"She has a room in a gable fitted up for you; the windows open on roses.
The place is full of sweet sounds and sights. All through this trouble
her thoughts have been with you. Will you come?"

"If papa can spare me."

"Then I shall ask him, and we can go down on Saturday. Won't he come for
the day? When you know my mother I am going to leave you there with her.
Poor Cyprian is off to Marienbad and I must go with him. He's dreadfully
afraid of losing his figure. A fat lawyer, he says, is the one
unpardonable thing. Will you look after my mother?"

The General was only too glad to give his consent to the plan which had
brought the colour to Nelly's cheek and the light to her eye. After
leaving Nelly in Sussex he and Robin would go down to Southampton, get
out the yacht and cruise about the coast till Nelly felt inclined for a
longer run.

So Mary Gray was free to go. She went out in the afternoon, leaving
Robin to look after his cousin. The General had gone off to the club
with a lighter heart than he had known for many a month. Robin had
suggested a drive, but Nelly would not hear of that. She was going to
save up her pleasure, she said, for Sussex and Saturday. She consented
to walk in the Square, where she had not been for quite a long time. He
noticed that she looked delicate and languid and his manner to her was
very tender. In fact, a