g on to him?"

"I tried to."

Thessalie stepped closer, impulsively, and framed Dulcie's pallid,
blood-smeared face in both of her cool, white hands.

"He has cut your lower lip inside," she said. And, to Barres: "Could
you get something to bathe it?"

Barres went away to his own room. When he returned with a finger-bowl
full of warm water, some powdered boric acid, cotton, and a soft
towel, Dulcie was lying deep in an armchair, her lids closed; and
Thessalie sat beside her on one of the padded arms, smoothing the
ruddy, curly hair from her forehead.

She opened her eyes when Barres appeared, giving him a clear but
inscrutable look. Thessalie gently washed the traces of battle from
her face, then rinsed her lacerated mouth very tenderly.

"It is just a little cut," she said. "Your lip is a trifle swelled."

"It is nothing," murmured Dulcie.

"Do you feel all right?" inquired Barres anxiously.

"I feel sleepy." She sat erect, always with her grey eyes on Barres.
"I think I will go to bed." She stood up, conscious, now, of her
shabby clothes and slippers; and there was a painful flush on her face
as she thanked Thessalie and bade her a confused good-night.

But Thessalie took the girl's hand and retained it.

"Please don't say anything about what happened," she said. "May I ask
it of you as a very great favour?"

Dulcie turned her eyes on Barres in silent appeal for guidance.

"Do you mind not saying anything about this affair," he asked, "as
long as Miss Dunois wishes it?"

"Should I not tell my father?"

"Not even to him," replied Thessalie gently. "Because it won't ever
happen again. I am very certain of that. Will you trust my word?"

Again Dulcie looked at Barres, who nodded.

"I promise never to speak of it," she said in a low, serious voice.

Barres took her down stairs. At the desk she pointed out, at his
request, the scene of recent action. Little by little he discovered,
by questioning her, what a dogged battle she had fought there alone in
the whitewashed corridor.

"Why didn't you call for help?" he asked.

"I don't know.... I didn't think of it. And when he got away I was
dizzy from the blow."

At her bedroom door he took both her hands in his. The gas-jet was
still burning in her room. On the bed lay her pretty evening dress.

"I'm so glad," she remarked naively, "that I had on my old clothes."

He smiled, drew her to him, and lightly smoothed the thick, bright
hair from her brow