ng myself; I must go, I--I couldn't wait--"

"Oh, but really you must, you know!"

"Must?" she repeated, looking her surprise.

"Ab-solutely must!" he answered softly, nodding so sleepily that she
almost expected him to yawn. "You really can't go out again to-night,
you know," he added. Hermione's blue eyes flashed, her delicate brows
knit themselves, and Mr. Ravenslee saw that she was taller than he had
thought.

"You mean you will--try to stop me?" she demanded.

"No, I mean that I--will stop you!"

"But you'd never dare--"

"I would dare even your anger in so good a cause. Ah, please don't be
angry with me, Miss Hermione, because--" and here his sleepy voice grew
positively slumberous, "you shall not go out into the streets again
to-night!"

"Ah, an' that's right too, Mr. Geoffrey!" cried Mrs. Trapes. "Hermy
needs some one strong enough to master her now an' then, she is that
wilful, she is so!"

But now all at once, as he watched, Hermione's eyes filled with great,
slow-gathering tears, her firm-set lips grew soft and quivered
pitifully, and she sank down in the easy-chair, her golden head bowed
upon the green and yellow tablecloth. The battered hat tumbled to the
floor, and striding forward, he had bent and caught one of her listless
hands all in a moment, and thereafter, though it struggled feebly once,
he held it closely prisoned in his own.

"Oh, don't!" he pleaded, his words coming quick and eager, "don't do
that! Do you think I can't see that you're all overwrought? How can I
let you go tramping out there in the streets again? You couldn't go--you
mustn't go! Stay here with good Mrs. Trapes, I beg of you, and I swear
I'll bring Arthur to you! Only you must promise me to wait here and be
patient, however long I am--you must promise, Hermione!"

She lifted her heavy head and looked at him through her tears. And
surely, surely in the face that bent above her was none of indolence or
languor. These lips were firm now and close-set, these lazy eyes were
wide and bright, and in them that which brought the warm colour to her
cheeks; but reverence was there also, wherefore she met his look, and
her fingers were not withdrawn from his until she had answered: "I
promise!"

"That's my wise dearie!" nodded Mrs. Trapes. "And good luck to ye, Mr.
Geoffrey, an' when you find that b'y, say as I wish--ah, how I wish I
was back of him with a toasting fork, that's all!"

Mr. Ravenslee caught up the shabby hat, o