actly handsome, but it was very strong, and when you looked at it, y

mour, all shining, and a

ized and shook the girl's hand, in order to attract her attention, which, as the baby was vaguely a

ll-cut dark blue serge, that bore no resemblance whatever to silver armour; "he-he put on armour when he had to go and fight dragons

g her golden head more closely against Christina's breast, and looking in

hands through the child's curls, and b

tterer. You mustn't call Christina a pretty lady. She

y, enunciating her words with the clearness often found in an only child who is co

e lanes." She put the child off her lap, and, going into an adjacent room, brought out the red cloak in which s

he engagement of Christina as Baba's nurse. The references the girl had produced from her late employer, Mrs. Donaldson, from an old clergyman who had known her in Devonshire, and from

lady said afterwards to Rupert; "and she was so overwhelme

of giving her a month's trial. I am glad you had the saving grace to sugge

ch was in the builder's hands, had sent Christina and Baba off, almost at a moment's notice, to Graystone. In this remote hamlet on a remote Sussex border, Mrs. Nairne, an old servant of the Staynes family, owned a sma

little pony cart, she and the child could make quite lengthy excursions about the country side, and Christina often found herself wondering why it was the fashion to talk as if there were no beauties to be found in the country in winter time. She revelled in the great sweeps of moorland that rolled away to far hills on the horizon, hills scarcely less blue than the soft blue of the winter sky. And, if the moorlands were no longer clad in their robe of purple heather, or pale pink ling, the duns and browns of heath and bracken, the dark green of fir-trees, and the brightly tinted leaves of the bilberry plants offered no lack of colour. On the oaks in the lanes br

d, when they came to a spot where four roads met, an

said; "it's such a ducky w

clematis; and, skirting a common where a pond reflected the sunshine on its small ruffled waves, turned down again between woods that climbed steeply up the hill-side on either hand. The lane narrowed as it wound o

d, and where the lane meandered past it, it was entirely shut in by woods-beech, oak, and birch on the lower levels, pines climbing upward to the summit, closing the building in from all observation. Thanks to the steep hills and the overhangi

blue eyes at the frowning walls; "it's a awful, dreadful place; and p'raps the Dragon's

Christina answered brightly; "and then the Pri

draped her hair. But it was the sight of her face that made Christina draw in her breath sharply, for she thought she had never seen anything more beautiful than its white loveliness, anything more sad than the glance of the great dark eye

ything I can

d almost have said a look of recognition swept ov

pardon-it was foolish of me-of co

ovely face of this woman, once seen, could never have faded from

or; and yet-I am afraid-I am afraid," she wrung h

, can I send over to the nearest town?" Christina asked, struck afresh by the anguish i

one must know if the doctor comes here," she exclaimed, suddenly pulling herself upright, and speaking fast and earnestly; "not a living soul must ever know

ences, the nervous glances she cast over her shoulder, and the strangeness of the words she spoke, all tended to make the girl doubt the speaker's sanity. But the dark eyes, unfathoma

the girl questioned practically; "is i

might be someone who would help me. I-cannot leave him myself; I have no one to send-it is all that my servant and

her dominant sensation. "I am a stranger in Graystone. We are only staying

ile flitting across the wan misery of her face, as her eyes rested on the girl's

back at her and

to turn the pony's head up the steep ascent again; "when one is poor, and hungry, all the fi

ightly with the whip, when the stranger clutched the side

not tell a soul you have seen me, not a living soul." She was labouring under strong excitement, and it alarmed Christina to not

, her grasp tightening

ell anyone that I have seen you, or what you have sai

the cart, and stood watching it retrace its way up the hill, he

g very little of what passed between her two elders, but watching the face

he cart had driven a short distance. "Baba hopes t

possibility that close attention would be paid to remarks Baba might make about their encounter with her; and speculating vainly over a

about a doctor, without betraying what she had been especially conjured to keep secret; but during the drive home her plans were mat

for tea, and turned a flushed but kindly fac

m sure you're wise and right to take her out early, in the sunshin

hadn't the sweetest, most wholesome nature in the

little dear! I was baking some scone

ba presently; she is asleep in her cot, and quite safe there. But, if you would look at her now and then I sh

out with a light heart; no harm shall come

r, besides watching over His Majesty's mails, served customers with bacon and butter, sweets or string, sugar or tea, as occasion required. He was weighing out very brown and moist

parcel of brown sugar and handed it to his customer, "and a packet of halfpenny cards." Then, when the cust

all place as this you h

ther side of the hill at Manborough. I hope the little lady is not ailing?" Mr. Canning asked sympathetically,

like this lovely place so much. It is a good thing, though, to know

hing the undertaker, as I've said more than once," and Mr. Canning bo

st three miles off, and Sandro, the fat pony who stood lazily flicking hi

been uttered, recurred to her, as she stood looking thoughtfully up the village str

ken in that same voice, came back to the girl's thoughts, and she looked

e as quickly as Master Sandro would joggle along the main road

Mrs. Nairne if she will be so very kind as to giv

h-the short-cut she had recollected-struck across the open moorland. She had just reached this point, and was about to turn into the by-path, when the hoot of a motor sounded behind her, and turnin

e car, and signalled to them to stop. The great car instantly slowed down, and Christina, flushing rosily at her own audacity, stepped forward to speak to one of the two men who be

ery scant attention to the girl, beyond observing that she was white and thin, and very shabbily dressed. The girl who stood now beside his car was neatly and becomingly gowned in garments of soft d

g you," she exclaimed breathlessly

going through Manborough. Is t

le thrills running along her pulses, and a dreamy conviction crept over her, that, if only he would go on speaking, she could willingly stand here f

en I stopped you. But I am very anxious to get quickly over

ening the door, and holding out his hand to help her into the b

in response to his smile, "but I do so want to get to the doctor as fast as

t her, an amused twin

hinder your attaining y

ult, and Christina sat back in her comfortable seat, looking first at the man who had spoken to her, and was now steering the machine, then at his companion who sat beside him. Now that Rupert was no longer

s rested on the strong, rugged face. "I wish I could help him; he looks as if he

o his companion-a slight, alert man, military in build-and with

Rupert, he watched her expressive face with growing admiration. They had only proceede

yourself in this?" and, drawing from behind him a heavy fur coat, which he had brought as an ext

her, "those green eyes of hers are like no others I ever saw," and Christina, little as she was in the habit of considering such things, could not help noticing how

s in the vibrating voice, had, as before, an

ds, like part of some extraordinary dream-a dream in which she, and the grey-eyed man, and the beautiful white-faced

steep hill, they came in sight of clustering red-roofed houses amo

ut Manborough is only a small place," Christina answered. "If you will very

inder; and the car once more slowed down, whilst Rupert put a

they pines," he said; "Docto

with some sort of poetry in it. Ah! here is the lodge in question-and as ordinary as its name," he concluded, stopping the car before a closed br

elped out of the car by the blue-eyed young man, who had skilfully forestalled Rupert in this act of gallantry; "it is

ed and held

for you. I hope the doctor will pull your patient well through the illness." His hand closed over Christina's small one, the blue-eyed

t said to his companion. "I wonder whose illness she is a

of tackling a difficulty. Now, in her place, I should have just begun to think what might have h

red with a laugh; "but it's only your confounded laziness of mind that

l. Can't we come back this way to-morrow, old man? We might find she wanted some errand d

errant, my good Wilfred; leave well alone. But I am bound to come back through Graystone. I promised Cicely that on my way home from Lewes, I would look in on Baba and her new nurse. They