now further away again, that must be to
the bureau. What could the governess be doing? The lid of her trunk
was dropped, and Nan could distinctly hear the click of the catches as
they fell in place. There was no further doubt about it! Miss Blake
was going. A moment later, and before Nan could collect her wits, the
door of the next room was briskly opened and closed, and the governess,
hatted and cloaked, sped quickly from the house.

Nan flew to the balusters with a hasty cry upon her lips, but was just
in time to see the door swing heavily to; and that was all. She flung
herself down stairs two steps at a time.

"There now, Delia Connor," she cried, bursting into the kitchen with
such vehemence that the very tins rattled on their shelves. "There,
now! What did I tell you? She's gone--Miss Blake's gone. Trunks
packed--! Everything's packed! She'll send men to get them. She's
gone clean off. I told you what it would be, and you wouldn't go and
speak to her. And now my father will be disgraced, and Mr. Turner will
blame me, and--it's all your fault, and I'll tell my father; so there!"

Delia's face paled suddenly. She set her lips together tight.

"It's well you have some one to lay the blame on, child!" she said
shortly, and went upstairs without another word. Nan did not care to
follow her into the governess' room, but stood outside and waited to
hear her verdict when she should have examined the premises.

"Well?" asked the girl, eagerly, as soon as she came out.

"Her trunk's shut and locked, that's certain!"

"Then she's gone for good!"

"She's gone. There ain't a doubt about that!"

"You said she would surely say good-bye, Delia Connor, you know you
did. You said no matter how she felt, she was such a lady she'd be
certain to say good-bye!"

"Well, and I really thought so. I believe now she'd have said
good-bye, if--"

"If I hadn't been such a--brat? Say it right out, Delia! You mean it
and you might as well say what you think," broke in the girl bitterly.

Delia turned on her heel and stalked grimly down stairs. A second
later she heard a rush of flying feet behind her, and the next moment
two arms were locked about her neck.

"Poor old Delia," cried Nan, in one of her sudden bursts of remorse.
"I'm the horridest girl that ever lived! I know it as well as you do,
and if you weren't the patientest thing in the world you wouldn't stand
it for a minute. But don't you go away f