ble; her clothing
was stained and in disorder.

'Thyrza!' she whispered. 'My darling, what has happened?'

The other, with a terrified look at the Grails' door, ran past and up
the stairs, speaking no word. Her sister followed.

In the room, Thyrza did not sit down, though her whole body trembled.
She took off her hat, and tried to undo her jacket.

'What is it?' Lydia asked, coming near to her. 'Where have you been?
What's made you like this?'

She was almost as pale as her sister, and fear pressed on her throat.
Knowing what she did, she imagined some dreadful catastrophe. Thyrza
seemed unable to speak, and her eyes were so wild, so pain-stricken,
that they looked like madness. She tried to smile, and at length said
disconnectedly:

'It's nothing, Lyddy--only frightened--somebody--a drunken
man--frightened me, and I fell down. Nothing else!'

Lydia could make no reply. She did not believe the story. Silently she
helped to remove the jacket, and led Thyrza to a chair. Then she drew
the dear head to her and held it close against her breast.

'You are so cold, Thyrza! Where have you been? Tell me, tell Lyddy!'

'Totty wasn't at home. I walked a little way. Gilbert doesn't know? You
haven't told him?'

'No, no, dear, it's all right. Come nearer to the fire: oh, how cold
you are! Sit on my lap, dearest; rest your head against me. Why have
you been crying, Thyrza?'

There was no answer. Held thus in her sister's arms, Thyrza abandoned
herself, closed her eyes, let every limb hang as it would, tried to be
as though she were dead. Lydia thought at first that she had lost
consciousness, but her cry brought an answer. They sat thus for some
minutes.

Then Thyrza whispered:

'I'm poorly, Lyddy. Let me go to bed.'

'You shall, dear. I'll sit by you. You'll let me stay by you?'

'Yes.'

As her clothes were removed she shook feverishly.

'They won't come up?' she asked several times. 'Mrs. Grail won't come?
Go and tell them I've got a headache, and that it'll be all right in
the morning.'

'They won't come, dear. Get into bed, and I'll go and tell them
directly.'

She could have wept for misery, but she must be strong for Thyrza's
sake. Whatever hope remained depended now upon her own self-command and
prudence. When Thyrza had lain down, Lydia succeeded in showing almost
a cheerful face.

'I'll just go down and say you're poorly. You won't move till I come
back?'

Thyrza shook her head.

Her sister w