nour, love, I have been so longing to speak to you, but I could not
leave poor Marian until she fell asleep. I am very anxious about papa.
He has never been alone in the hot weather before, and he is so
terribly imprudent."

"You would like me to go down and take care of him? I shall be
delighted, mamma. I find I must be thankful if any one will let me
even stay near them."

"Dear little one, you must not think----"

"I do not think, mamma; I know. I know that Marian has begged you to
send me away, and said she shall go mad if she sees me about. She said
almost as much as that to me last night. I suppose I deserve it
somehow, but I really don't see how."

"Onora, dear child, you must not misjudge poor Marian. She has had a
fearful blow, and is hardly responsible for what she says. You know
that I would never send you away from me. But I see that I must stay
here with her for the present, and it makes me so unhappy to leave dear
papa----"

"And you do know how I long to be of use to any one, don't you, mamma?
I wanted to comfort Marian, but she would not let me. Oh, mamma, she
said such cruel, unjust things. And is it my fault if I can't--if I
can't----?"

"No, my love, certainly not. And if you have been--well, not very
wise, in what you have done and said, no one who knew you could
possibly credit you with any but the best motives. And you will take
care of papa, and see that he does not go out in the sun unnecessarily?
I feel that it is very cruel to send you down to Ranjitgarh again in
the heat, my precious one."

"What does it signify, mamma? I am sure Marian would be rather pleased
if I died. No, I ought not to have said that. I am really glad to
have some idea what the hot weather is--even though I shall be in a
cool house, with every comfort. They have nothing of that sort, have
they--marching in the heat to punish Charley's murderers?"

"Who--those two young men? Oh, my dear child, is it always to be they,
and not he?"

"I don't know; how can I tell? Oh, mamma, they are both so good, and
they do everything together, and I think it is so splendid of them both
to have risked everything like this. If only they were both my
brothers!"

"I suppose I should have been too proud with two such sons added to
those I have. One of them as a son-in-law would quite satisfy me, if
it satisfied you, dearest. But that seems too much to hope for," said
Lady Cinnamond despairingly.

But when H