we're going to hide in, she may begin to want to
talk to me. But not a question do I ask or look until she's ready to
open her poor heart to me."

* * * * *

She had herself well under control when she reached her destination. She
had bathed her face and freshened herself with a cup of hot tea at the
station. She entered the house quite with her usual manner and was
greeted with obvious welcome by her fellow servants. They had missed her
and were glad to see her again. She reported herself respectfully to
Mrs. James in the housekeeper's sitting room and they had tea again and
a confidential talk.

"I'm glad you could leave your niece, Mrs. Dowson," the housekeeper
said. "It's high time poor little Miss Lawless was sent away from
London. She's not fit for war work now or for anything but lying in bed
in a quiet place where she can get fresh country air and plenty of fresh
eggs, and good milk and chicken broth. And she needs a motherly woman
like you to watch her carefully."

"Does she look as delicate as all that?" said Dowie concernedly.

"She'll lie in the graveyard in a few months if something's not done.
I've seen girls look like her before this." And Mrs. James said it
almost sharply.

But even with this preparation and though Lord Coombe had spoken
seriously of the state of the girl's health, Dowie was not ready to
encounter without a fearful sense of shock what she confronted a little
later when she went to Robin's sitting room as she was asked to.

When she tapped upon the door and in response to a faint sounding "Come
in" entered the pretty place, Robin rose from her seat by the fire and
came towards her holding out her arms.

"I'm so glad you came, Dowie dear," she said, "I'm _so_ glad." She put
the arms close round Dowie's neck and kissed her and held her cheek
against the comfortable warm one a moment before she let go. "I'm so
_glad_, dear," she murmured and it was even as she felt the arms close
about her neck and the cheek press hers that Dowie caught her breath and
held it so that she might not seem to gasp. They were such thin frail
arms, the young body on which the dress hung loose was only a shadow of
the round slimness which had been so sweet.

But it was when the arm released her and they stood apart and looked at
each other that she felt the shock in full force while Robin continued
her greetings.

"Did you leave Henrietta and the children quite well?" she