are as brown as berries," he
replied.

"Ah! that is the natural result of such a country life," the lady
returned. "She has perfect health."

"Donald does not look so well."

Elsie could make nothing of this strange conversation, but she supposed
that the lady wished her and Duncan to be taken for some other children
who were not there. Still this was puzzling, for where could the other
children be?

Duncan ate very little, and seemed to take that more because he was
frightened to leave what had been given him than for any hunger.

After breakfast a carriage came to the door, and they drove back again
to the station from which they had come last night. After a little
waiting, the train started.

There were no other passengers in the carriage they occupied, and the
lady and gentleman talked a great deal together. Elsie could not
understand half that they said, but she heard them mention Edinburgh and
London, and talk of hotels, and lodgings, and a great many other things,
which gave her no information; but her heart beat wildly when they spoke
of London, and she hoped above everything that they would take her
there, for she had lost all count of the way by now, and would have had
no more idea in which direction to go, had she been left to herself,
than she would have had to find her way back to Dunster.

For a while the lady and gentleman were so engaged in talking together,
that they took no notice of the children. Duncan had seated himself in a
corner, and was leaning his head against the cushion with a strange
expression on his face. Elsie, sitting opposite, glanced at him several
times, as if to inquire what was the matter, but he took no notice. To
go over and ask him was more than she dared. She was far more frightened
to move a finger before this strange lady than she had been to disobey
Mrs. MacDougall in the most flagrant way.

But suddenly the gentleman's eye fell upon Duncan, and he said sharply,
"That child is ill, Lucy!"

"Nonsense!" said the lady, quickly. "He is putting it on. A good shaking
will rouse him."

Elsie glanced uneasily at Duncan. He took no notice; his heavy eyelids
were almost closed. It flashed upon Elsie that what the gentleman said
was true, although she had not thought of it before.

"I think he is ill," Elsie said, plucking up her courage, for she
thought it was cruel to talk of shaking him.

"Nonsense! He shall not be ill. Let him dare to!" the lady cried
angrily.

"It