friend.

"Why, Hil, how hungry you must have been!" she said. "Let me run and
get some butter."

"How hungry I am, you mean," he said. "Addy, dear, I feel now just like
what wolves must feel when they eat little children and old women. I'll
never speak disrespectfully of a wolf again. Why, I could have eaten
you."

"Oh, what nonsense!"

"I don't know so much about that," he said; "but never mind about the
butter; let me have some of that milk. Look here, tie one end of this
cord round the handle of the jug, and then I'll haul it up."

He lowered down one end of the cord and watched her carefully, munching
busily the while, as she cleverly tied the end to the jug handle, and
then held the vessel of milk up so that he should not have so far to
haul.

"Steady," said Hilary, with his mouth unpleasantly full; and he softly
drew the cord tight, but only to find that the want of balance would
pull the jug so much on one side that half the milk would be spilled.

"That won't do," he said; "and I can't wait for you to tie the cord
afresh; besides, I don't think you could do it right. I say, Addy,
drink some of it, there's a good girl; it would be a pity to spill any."

Adela hesitated a moment, and then placed the jug to her lips, Hilary
watching her attentively the while.

"Steady," he cried excitedly; "steady! Don't drink it all."

"Oh, Hilary," said the girl laughing, "what a greedy boy you are!
You're just as bad as you used to be over the cider."

"Can't help it," he said. "There, drink a little more. You don't know
how bad I am."

"Poor fellow!" she said feelingly; and having drunk a little more she
again held up the jug, which he drew rapidly to the window, but not
without spilling a good deal.

"Hah!" he exclaimed as he got hold of the vessel. "Good health."

He drank long and with avidity; and then setting down the jug once more,
partook of some bread, looking down the while at his little benefactor,
and ending by saying:

"Why, Addy, what a nice girl you have grown!"

"Have I!" she said laughingly. "And what a great big fellow you have
grown; and oh, Hilary," she said, with her face becoming serious, "thank
you--thank you for being so very, very kind to us the other day."

"Yes," he said, "and this is the way you show it. Now I'm better, and I
want to know how you came here."

"Oh, this is a very old house--a Place they call it--where papa and I
have been staying for some time. Poor