that your father will be made very ill again. Very likely he will, if
_we_ don't prevent it."

"It's horrible!" said Polly; "but _how_ can we prevent it, Flower?"

"Oh, easily enough. _You_ must guard your father's room. Let no one in
under any pretense whatever until I have found David."

"What do you mean by finding David? What can David have to say to it?"

"Oh! has he not? Poor Fly! David has got her into his toils. David is at
the bottom of all this, I am convinced. I guessed it the moment I saw
him go up so boldly to Mrs. Cameron and pretend to be sorry about the
dog. _He_ sorry about Scorpion! He hates him more than any of us."

"But then--I don't understand; if that is so, David told a deliberate
lie, Flower."

Flower colored.

"We have not been brought up like the Maybrights," she said. "Oh, yes,
_we_ could tell a lie; we were not brought up to be particular about
good things, or to avoid bad things. We were brought up--well, just
anyhow."

Polly stole up to Flower and kissed her.

"I am glad you have come to learn of my father," she said. "Now do tell
me what we are to do for poor, poor Fly. Do you think David is guilty,
and that he has got Fly to promise not to tell?"

"Yes, that is what I think. David must be found, and got to confess, and
so release Fly of her promise before three o'clock. David is a dreadful
boy to find when he takes it into his head to hide on purpose; but I
must look for him, and in the meantime will you guard your father,
Polly?"

"As a dragon," said Polly. "You may trust me about that at least. I will
go to his room at once to make all things safe, for there is really no
trusting Aunt Maria when she has a scheme of vengeance with regard to
_that dog_ in her head. Good-by, Flower; I'm off to father."

Polly turned away, and Flower ran quickly downstairs. She knew she had
not a moment to lose, for David, as she expressed it, was a very
difficult boy to find when he took it into his head to hide himself.

Flower had not been on the moor since that dreadful day when she had
taken the baby away. So much had happened since then, so many dreadful
things had come to pass, that she shuddered at the bare thought of the
great and desolate moorland. Nevertheless she guessed that David would
hide there, and without a moment's hesitation turned her steps in the
direction of Peg-Top Moor. She had walked for nearly half an hour, and
had reached rather a broad extent of table-land, when