tle scolding was never given.

When the governess-cart stopped at our path there were only two figures
in it--no, three, I should say, for there was the groom, and the two
others were Nan and Vallie--Sharley was not there.

I ran out to meet them.

'Is Sharley ill?' I called out before I got to them.

Nan shook her head.

'No,' she was beginning, but Vallie, who was much quicker, took the
words out of her mouth--that was a way of Vallie's, and sometimes it
used to make Nan rather vexed. But this morning she did not seem to
notice it; she just shut up her lips again and stood silent with a very
grave expression, while Vallie hurried on--

'Sharley's not ill, but mother kept her at home, and we're late because
we went first to the telegraph office at Yukes'--Yukes is a _very_ tiny
village half a mile on the other side of Moor Court, where there is a
telegraph office. 'Father's ill, Helena, and I'm afraid he's very ill,
for as soon as Dr. Cobbe saw him this morning he said he must telegraph
for another doctor to London.'

'Oh, dear,' I exclaimed, 'I am so sorry,' and turning round at the sound
of footsteps behind me I saw grandmamma, who had followed me out of the
house. 'Granny,' I said, 'there _is_ something the matter. Their father
is very ill,' and I repeated what Vallie had just said.

'I am very grieved to hear it,' said grandmamma. Afterwards she told me
she had had a sort of presentiment that something was the matter. 'I am
so sorry for your mother,' she went on. 'I wonder if I can be of use to
her in any way.'

Then Nan spoke, in her slow but very exact way.

'Mother said,' she began, 'would you come to be with her this afternoon
late, when the London doctor comes? She will send the brougham and it
will bring you back again, if you would be so very kind. Mother is so
afraid what the London doctor will say,' and poor Nan looked as if it
was very difficult for her not to cry.

'Certainly, I will come,' said grandmamma at once. 'Ask Mrs. Nestor to
send for me as soon as you get home if she would like to have me. I
suppose--' she went on, hesitating a little, 'you don't know what is the
matter with your father?'

'It is a sort of a cold that's got very bad,' said Vallie, 'it hurts him
to breathe, and in the night he was nearly choking.'

Granny looked grave at this. She knew that Mr. Nestor had not been
strong for some time, and he was a very active man, who looked after
everything on his property hims