The green baize door was opened a tiny bit, a violent shove was
administered to Flower's back, and she found herself in the arms of Mrs.
Cameron, and in extreme danger of having her nose bitten off by the
infuriated Scorpion.

"Just like Zebedee!" exclaimed the good lady. "Always struggling to
impart the dry bones of obsolete learning to the young! Come this way,
Miss--Miss--what's your name?"

"Dalrymple--Flower Dalrymple."

"An outlandish title, worthy of Sleepy Hollow. I have not an idea who
you are, but come into the dining-room."

"Might I---- might I have a little breakfast?"

"Bless me, the child looks as if she were going to faint! Ann, Ann, I
say! Down, Scorpion! You shall have no cream if you bark any more. Ann,
bring half a glass of port wine over here, and make some breakfast for
Miss--Miss Rymple as fast as you can."

"_Dal_rymple, please!"

"Don't worry me, child. I can't get my tongue round long names. Now,
what is it you are called? Daisy? What in the world have you come to me
for, Daisy?"

"I'm Flower----"

"Well, and isn't Daisy a flower? Now then, Daisy Rymple, tell your story
as quickly as possible. I don't mind giving you breakfast, but I'm as
busy as possible to-day. I've six committee meetings on between now and
two o'clock. Say your say, Daisy, and then you can go."

"But I've come to stay."

"To _stay_? Good gracious! Scorpion, down, sir! Now, young lady, have
you or have you not taken leave of your senses?"

"No, really. May I tell you my story?"

"If you take ten minutes over it; I won't give you longer time."

"I'll try to get it into ten minutes. I'm an Australian, and so is
David. David is my brother. We came over in the _Australasia_ about six
weeks ago. Dr. Maybright met us in London, and took us down to Sleepy
Hollow."

"Bless the man!--just like him. Had he any responsible matron or
spinster in the house, child?"

"I don't know; I don't think so. There was Helen and Polly and----"

"I don't want to hear about Polly! Go on; your ten minutes will soon be
up. Go on."

"A couple of days ago we went on a picnic--I have a way of getting into
awful passions--and Polly--Polly vexed me."

"Oh, she vexed you? You're not the first that young miss has vexed, I
can tell you."

"She vexed me; I oughtn't to have minded; I got into a passion; I felt
awful; I ran away with baby."

"Goodness me! what is the world coming to? You don't mean to say you
have dared to bring th