ld only say something to explain, I won't mind; but otherwise I'll
have sense to make myself scarce in this neighbourhood."

"I'm afraid her vanity will be too wounded for her to give in."

"I'll make it as easy for her as I can; but, good Lord! I can't go to
her and apologise because she threw dirty water on me."

"Well, I'll bid you good-night. I must run in to Dawn. I expect she is
sobbing her heart out by this, and biting her pretty curled lips to
relieve her feelings,--her lips that were meant for kisses, not cruel
usage."

"Good heavens! Do you really think she'll feel like that?" he asked in
astonishment.

"I'm certain."

"But I can't see why--she might have had reason had I been the
aggressor."

"If you had hurt her she would not feel half so bad. You would be a
hopeless booby if you could not understand that."

"Really, now, if I thought she would take it that way, it would make
all the difference in the world. But had she desired to despatch me,
half that energy of insult would do," he said, drawing up, while
hardness crept into his voice, but it softened again as he concluded--

"I wouldn't like her to be upset about it, though, if she didn't quite
mean it."

"Well, you can be sure that in regard to you she was very far from
meaning it, and that she will be dreadfully upset about it; so think
of what I've said, and come and see me in the morning."

Now that he had grown calm, he was shivering with the cold, so I bade
him run home.

On returning to the house I found Andrew the solitary watcher of his
charge, who, covered by an old cloak, was snoring on the kitchen sofa.

"Dear me, where are they all?"

"In bed; and look at his nibbs there. I reckon I took a wrinkle from
Dawn as how to manage him. Soon as every one's back was turned he
began actin' the goat again an' makin' for home, an' I thought here
goes, I don't care a hang if all the others roused on me like blazes,
so long as grandma don't,--she's the only one makes me sit up,--so I
flung water on him, not warm water but real cold. It took seven years'
growth out of him, an' then I gave him a drink of hot coffee, an'
undressed him, an' he was jolly glad to lay down there."

"Why, you'll give the man a cold!"

"No jolly fear. I took his clothes off. I've got 'em dryin' here. I
couldn't find any of my gear, an' wasn't game to ask Uncle Jake, so I
clapped him into a night-dress of grandma's. Look! he's got his hand
out. I reckon the fril