or ever so long.'

The fact was, she had been told to call me but had forgotten it.

'I don't want any,' I said, shortly.

'Nonsense, miss,' said the girl, 'you can't go without eating. And when
there's any one ill in the house you must just make the best of things.'

'Mrs. Vandeleur didn't seem so very ill,' I said, 'she was able to
walk.'

'Ah, but she's been worse since then--they had to fetch the doctor, and
now she's in bed and better, and your grandmamma's sitting beside her.'

I did feel sorry for Cousin Agnes when I heard this, though the sore
feeling still remained that I wasn't wanted, and was of no use to any
one. I was almost glad to escape seeing grandmamma, so I went downstairs
quietly to the dining-room and had my tea, for I was very hungry. Just
as I had finished, and was crossing the hall to go upstairs again, a
tall figure came out of the library. I knew in a moment who it was, but
Cousin Cosmo stared at me as if he couldn't imagine what child it could
be, apparently at home in his house.

'Who--what?' he began, but then corrected himself. 'Oh, to be sure,' he
added, holding out his hand, 'you're Helena of course. I wasn't sure if
you were at school or not.'

'At school,' I repeated, 'grandmamma would never send me to school.'

He smiled a little, or meant to do so, but I thought him very grim and
forbidding.

'I don't wonder at those boys not liking him for their guardian,' I said
to myself as I looked up at him.

'Ah, well,' he replied, 'so long as you remember to be a very quiet
little girl, especially when you pass the first landing, I daresay it
will be all right.'

I didn't condescend to answer, but walked off with my most dignified
air, which no doubt was lost upon my cousin, who, I fancy, had almost
forgotten my existence before he had closed the hall door behind him,
for he was just going out.

I did not see grandmamma that evening, and I did not know that she saw
me, for when she at last was free to come up to my room, I was in bed
and fast asleep, and she was careful not to wake me. She told me this
the next morning, and also that Belinda had said I had had my tea and
supper comfortably. But--partly from pride, and partly from better
motives--I did not tell her that I had cried myself to sleep.

I need not go into the daily history of the next few weeks, indeed I
don't wish to do so. They were the most miserable time of my whole life.
Now that all is happy I don't want to dw