own. Do you think it will have hurt her,
my peeping into the room yesterday?' for I had told my old nurse
_everything_.

She shook her head.

'No, my dear, I don't think so. She is going to get really better now,
they feel sure--as sure as it is ever _right_ to feel about such things,
I mean. Only yesterday morning I had a letter from your grandmamma,
saying so. She meant to tell you soon, all about the great anxiety there
had been--once it was over--she had been afraid of grieving and alarming
you. So, dear Miss Helena, if you had just been patient a _little_
longer----'

My tears were dropping fast now, but still I was not quite softened.

'All the same, Kezia,' I said, 'they meant to send me to school.'

'Well, my dear, if they had, it might have been really for your
happiness. You would have been sent nowhere that was not as good and
nice a school as could be. And, of course, though Mrs. Vandeleur has
turned the corner in a wonderful way, she will be delicate for
long--perhaps never quite strong, and the life is lonely for you.'

'I wouldn't mind,' I said, for the sight of sweet Cousin Agnes had made
me feel as if I would do anything for her. 'I wouldn't mind, if
grandmamma trusted me, and if I could feel she loved me as much as she
used. I would do my lessons alone, or go to a day-school or anything, if
only I felt happy again with grandmamma.'

'My dearie, there is no need for you to feel anything else.'

'Oh yes--there is _now_, even if there wasn't before,' I said,
miserably. 'Think of what I have done. Even if grandmamma forgave me for
coming away here, Cousin Cosmo would not--he is _so_ stern, Kezia. He
really is--you know Harry and Lindsay thought so--Gerard Nestor told us,
and though Harry won't speak against him, I can see he doesn't care for
him.'

'Perhaps they have not got to know each other,' suggested Kezia. 'Master
Harry is a dear boy; but so was Mr. Cosmo long ago--I can't believe his
whole nature has changed.'

Then another thought struck me.

'Kezia,' I said, 'I think grandmamma might have told me about the boys
being here. She used to tell me far littler things than that. And in a
sort of a way I think I had a right to know. Windy Gap is my home.'

'It was all settled in a hurry,' said Kezia. 'The school broke up
suddenly through some cases of fever, and poor Mr. Vandeleur was much
put about to know where to send the young gentlemen. He couldn't have
them in London, with Mrs. Vandel