silly, wild hope it was, for of
course I might have known she could not yet have left Cousin Agnes--that
it might be grandmamma. And, luckily perhaps, for without it I should
not have had courage to enter the drawing-room, this idea lasted till I
had opened the door, and it was too late to run away.

How I did wish I could do so you will easily understand, when I tell you
that the tall figure standing looking out of the window, which turned as
I came in, was that of my stern Cousin Cosmo himself!

I must have got very white, I think, though it seemed to me as if all
the blood in my body had rushed up into my head and was buzzing away
there like lots and lots of bees, but I only remember saying 'Oh!' in a
sort of agony of fear and shame. And the next thing I recollect was
finding myself on a chair and Cousin Cosmo beside me on another, and,
wonderful to say, he was holding my hand, which had grown dreadfully
cold, in one of his. His grasp felt firm and protecting. I shut my eyes
just for a moment and fancied to myself that it seemed as if papa were
there.

'But it can't last,' I thought, 'he's going to be awfully angry with me
in a minute.'

I did not speak. I sat there like a miserable little criminal, only
judges don't generally hold prisoners' hands when they are going to
sentence them to something very dreadful, do they? I might have thought
of that, but I didn't. I just squeezed myself together to bear whatever
was coming.

This was what came.

I heard a sort of sigh or a deep breath, and then a voice, which it
almost seemed to me I had never heard before, said, very, very gently--

'My poor little girl--poor little Helena. Have I been such an ogre to
you?'

I could _scarcely_ believe my ears--to think that it was Cousin Cosmo
speaking to me in that way! I looked up into his face; I had really
never seen it very well before. And now I found out that the dark,
deep-set eyes were soft and not stern--what I had taken for hardness and
severity had, after all, been mostly sadness and anxiety, I think.

'Cousin Cosmo,' I said, 'are you going to forgive me, then? And
grandmamma, too? _I am_ sorry for running away, but I didn't understand
properly. I will go to school whenever you like, and not grumble.'

My tears were dropping fast, but still I felt strangely soothed.

'Tell me more about it all,' said Mr. Vandeleur. 'I want to understand
from yourself all about the fancies and mistakes there have been in your