n tell you it's been worrying me like anything wondering what
she's done. My uncle and aunt both tried and failed; I was rather
disappointed, because after all one would have thought that they would
be able to deal with a thing like that, wouldn't one?"

He paused again, but she only said "Yes" and hurried on.

"So now I'm at my wits' end and I thought that you might help me."

"Why not your father?" she said suddenly.

"Ah! that's just it," he answered eagerly. "That's where I wanted you
to give me your advice. You see--well, it's a little hard to
explain--we weren't very nice to the governor when he came back
first--the first day or two, I mean. He was--well, different--didn't
look at things as we did; liked different things and had strong views
about knocking down the Cove. So we went on our way and didn't pay
much attention to him--I daresay he's told you all about it--and I'm
sorry enough now, although it really was largely his own fault! I
don't think he seemed to want us to have much to do with him, and then
one day Clare spoke to him about things and asked him to consider us a
little and he flared up.

"Well, I've a sort of idea that he could help us now--at any rate,
there's no one else. Aunt Clare said that she would ask him, but you
know him better than any of us, and, of course, it is a little
difficult for us, after the way that we've spoken to him; you might
help us, I thought."

He couldn't be sure, even now, that Mary had been listening--she looked
so strange this evening that he was afraid of her, and half wished that
he had kept his affairs to himself. She was silent for a moment,
because she was wondering what it was that Harry had really done about
the letters. It was amusing, because they obviously didn't know that
she had told him--but what had he done?

"Do you want me to help you, Robin?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," he answered eagerly. "You know him so well and could
get him to do things that he would never do for us. I'm afraid of him,
or rather have been just lately. I don't know what there is about him
exactly."

"You want me to help you?" she asked again. "Well then, you've got to
put up with a bit of my mind--you've caught me in a bad mood, and I
don't care whether it hurts you or not--you're in for a bit of plain
speaking."

He looked up at her with surprise, but said nothing.

"Oh, I know I'm no very great person myself," she went on
quickly--almost fiercely.