staircase, she
conveyed it back to the secret little pocket she had made for it--next
her heart.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

A SUMMONS.

"Mother," said the girl, in the soft-sounding Magyar, as these two were
together going down-stairs, "give me your hand; let me hold it tight, to
make sure. All the way here I kept terrifying myself by thinking it must
be a dream; that I should wake, and find the world empty without you,
just as before. But now--now with your hand in mine, I am sure."

"Natalushka, you can hear me speak also. Ghosts do not speak like this,
do they?"

Brand had preceded them to open the door. As Natalie was passing him she
paused for a second, and regarded him with the beautiful, tender, dark
eyes.

"I am not likely to forget what I owe to you," she said in English.

He followed them into the cab.

"What you owe to me?" he said, lightly. "You owe me nothing at all. But
if you wish to do me a good turn, you may pretend to be pleased with
whatever old Waters can get together for you. The poor old fellow will
be in a dreadful state. To entertain two ladies, and not a moment of
warning! However, we will show you the river, and the boats and things,
and give him a few minutes' grace."

Indeed, it was entirely as a sort of harmless frolic that he chose to
regard this present excursion of theirs. He was afraid of the effect of
excessive emotion on this worn woman, and he was anxious that she should
see her daughter cheerful and happy. He would not have them think of any
future; above all, he would have nothing said about himself or America;
it was all an affair of the moment--the joyous re-union of mother and
daughter--a pleasant morning with London all busy and astir--the only
serious thing in the whole world the possible anxieties and struggles of
the venerable major-domo in Buckingham Street.

He had not much difficulty in entertaining these two guests of his on
their way down. They professed to be greatly interested in the history
and antiquities of the old-fashioned little thoroughfare over the river;
arrived there, they regarded with much apparent curiosity the houses
pointed out to them as having been the abode of illustrious personages:
they examined the old water gate; and, in ascending the oak staircase,
they heard of painted ceilings and what not with a deep and respectful
attention. But always these two had each other's hand clasped tight, and
occasionally Natalie murmured a little snat