s, dog, and all, said--

"Really, papa, you must go and help down in the cabin. It's an awful
chaos, and Tom and Jill are making it ten times worse. Do go." And she
sat down with a gesture of despair on one of the benches, and proceeded
to adjust her unruly hat. While doing this she looked up at Roger, who
stood meekly before her with her belongings.

"Thanks! Don't mind holding them; put them down anywhere, Roger, and
do, there's a dear boy, go and help father and the others in that
horrid, horrid cabin."

Roger, more flurried and docile than he had felt himself for a long
while, dropped the baggage, and thrusting the dog into Armstrong's
hands, flew off to obey the behests of his new cousin.

The young lady now looked up in charming bewilderment at the tutor, who
could not fail to read the question in her eyes, and felt called upon to
answer it.

"May I introduce myself?" said he. "I am Frank Armstrong, Roger's
tutor."

"I'm so glad," said she with a little laugh. "I'd imagined you a horrid
elderly person with a white cravat and tortoise-shell spectacles. It
_is_ such a relief!"

And she sighed at the mere recollection of her forebodings.

"There's no saying what we may become in time," said Mr Armstrong.

"I suppose," said she, eyeing him curiously once more, "you're the other
trustee, or whatever it's called? I hope you and father will get on
well. I can't see what use either of you can be. Roger looks as if he
could take care of himself. Are you awfully fond of him?"

"I am rather," said the tutor in a voice which quite satisfied his
hearer.

"Heigho!" said she presently, picking up the dog and stroking its ears.
"I'm glad this dreadful voyage is over. Mr Armstrong, what do they all
think about all of us coming to Maxfield? If I lived there, I should
hate it."

"Mrs Ingleton, I know, is very pleased."

"Yes, but you men aren't. There'll be fearful rows, I know. I wish
we'd stayed behind in India. It's hateful to be stuck down where you
aren't wanted, for every one to vote you a nuisance!"

"I can hardly imagine any one voting _you_ a nuisance," said Mr
Armstrong, half-frightened at his own temerity.

She glanced up with a little threatening of a blaze in her eyes.
"Don't!" said she. "That's the sort of thing the silly young gentlemen
say on board ship. I don't like it."

The poor tutor winced as much under this rebuff as if he had been just
detected in a plot to run away with