the name of all that is wonderful are
you doing here at this hour?"

Pauline looked full up at him.

"You said you would help me. You said you would if ever the time came. I
want to be helped--oh, so badly!--and I have come."

"Because I said that?" exclaimed the farmer, his face flushing all over
with intense gratification. "Then you be certain of one thing, my
dear--sure and positive certain--that when Farmer King says a thing he
will do it. You come straight in with me, missy--straight in with me this
blessed minute."

Pauline gave him her hand. It was quite wonderful how he soothed her, how
her fear seemed to drop away from her, how contented and almost happy she
felt.

"You are very strong, aren't you?" she said. "You are very, very strong?"

"I should about think I am. I can lift a weight with any man in England,
cut up a sheep with any man in existence, run a race with any farmer of
my age. Strong! Yes, you are right there, missy; I am strong--strong as
they're made."

"Then you are what I want. You will help me."

The farmer opened the hall door with his latch-key. Nancy had been in bed
for an hour or more. The farmer unlocked the door which led into the
kitchen.

"The parlor will be cold," he said, "and the drawing-room will be sort of
musty. We don't use the drawing-room every night. But the kitchen--that
will be all right. You come right into the kitchen, Miss Pauline, and
then you'll tell me."

He took her into the kitchen, lit a big lamp which hung over the
fireplace, and poked the ashes in the big stove.

"You do look white and trembly all over. Shall I call Nancy to see you,
miss?"

"Please, please do."

Farmer King went noisily upstairs.

"Nancy!" he called to his daughter. "I say, Nancy!"

Nancy was in her first sleep. She opened her eyes at the sound of the
farmer's voice, and said in a sleepy tone:

"Well, what now, dad? I wish you wouldn't call me just because you come
in late."

"You get up, my girl. There's trouble downstairs. Missy has come."

"Missy? Miss Pen?"

"No, not Miss Pen; the other one--the one we love, both of us--the one
who was our queen--Miss Pauline. She's downstairs, and she's shocking
bad. She has come to me to help her."

"Why, of course she's bad, father," said Nancy. "Don't you know all that
happened? Pauline was nearly drowned at Easterhaze, and they say she
hasn't been quite, so to say, right in her head ever since. I have been
nearly mad about it.