is sake comfort you?"

"Oh yes," sighed Kitty eagerly, clutching at any kind of comfort, at
anything she could do for those she loved. "Oh yes, it will. I--I
hadn't thought of that; but I feel now as if I must work and work--"
then she broke off, embarrassed, and actually laughed at herself.

"There, I knew you had plenty of spirit," cried Miss Hammond
delightedly. "Now I am going to unpack some of my boxes, and then they
are going to bring me some tea to my room. Will you come and join me,
dear? I am sure you can manage another tea."

"Oh yes, thank you," smiled Kitty, "I am sure I can. I would love to
come."

Left alone, Kitty began at once to unpack and arrange her belongings.
She felt a little choky as she took out and looked at the photographs
and the various little parting gifts that had been given her,
particularly when she came across a piece of spar that Tony, without
saying a word to any one, must have wrapped up and tucked in amongst her
things as a pleasant surprise for her. It was a very pretty bit that he
had himself found, and was immensely proud of. Kitty's eyes filled as
she held the little cold stone and kissed it. Then she hung up a
calendar that Betty had given her, one of her own manufacture. "I shall
soon be able to mark off one day," she thought with some relief.

Her room grew to look so different and so nice that she became quite
interested, and rather a long time had elapsed before she tidied herself
and went out in search of Miss Hammond's room. It was not difficult to
find, for it was on the same landing as her own, and had Miss Hammond's
name painted on the door.

"Come in," said a voice in answer to her knock. "Come in. I was just
about to begin without you. Sit down here, dear, in this low chair by
the table. We will have a 'plate tea' and a drawing-room tea combined;"
and Kitty dropped gladly into a pretty low chair beside the tea-table,
which was drawn up to the fire, and Miss Hammond drew up her chair to
the other side.

"Oh, what a grand thing tea is! I love it," she exclaimed with a sigh
of pleasure. It was said so girlishly and impulsively that Kitty
laughed as she agreed.

"Pamela Peters has come," said Miss Hammond a moment later, "and I have
asked her to tea too."

Kitty felt just a little feeling of disappointment. She did not want to
meet any more strangers then; she was tired and shy, and she knew that
her eyes were still swelled. She wanted, too,