ppealingly, while the
perspiration burst out over his pale face; "please, Harpour, _please_
don't. Oh, Walter, Walter, _do_ help me."

"Hush, my poor, little fellow, I'm here," said Walter tenderly, as he
smoothed his pillow; "don't be afraid, Arty, you're quite safe, and I'm
staying with you. They only put on masks to frighten you; it was
nothing but that."

Bending over the bed, he talked to him in a gentle, soothing voice, and
tried to make him feel at ease, while the child flung both his arms
round his neck, sobbing, and still clung tight to his hand when Walter
had succeeded in allaying the sudden paroxysm of terror.

Henderson, deeply touched, had looked on with glistening eyes. "How
kind you are, Walter," he said, taking his other hand, and
affectionately pressing it. "I should just like to have Kenrick here,
and show him what his new friends have done."

"Don't be indignant against him, Flip. I wish, indeed, he would but
come into this room, and make it up with us, and be what he once was.
But he did not even take the slightest notice of the letter I wrote him,
entreating him to overlook any fault I had been guilty of, however
unconsciously. I never meant to wrong him, and I love him as much as
ever."

"Love him!" said Henderson, "_I_ don't; his new line isn't half to my
fancy. He must be jolly miserable, that's one comfort."

"Hush! he _was_ our friend, Flip, remember; indeed, _I_ feel as a friend
to him still, whatever his feelings are for _me_. But why do you think
he must be miserable?"

"Because you can see in his face and manner, that all the while he knows
he's in the wrong, and is thoroughly ashamed at bottom."

"Well, let's hope he'll come round again all the sooner. Have you
broken with him, then?"

"Well, nearly. We are barely civil to each other, that's all, and I
don't suppose we shall be even that now: for I pitched into him to-day
at the meeting."

Walter only sighed, and just then Power stole into the room.

"Hallo!" he said, "Flip, I believe you and I shall kill the invalids
between us. I just met Dr Keith on the stairs, and he only gave me
leave to come for five minutes, for he says they both need quiet. You,
I suspect, Master Flip, took French leave."

"I like that," said Henderson, laughing, "considering that this is your
_second_ visit, and only my first. I've been telling Walter about the
meeting."

"The credit--if there is any--is yours, Flip; you broke the ic