happened, and Miss Leaf would not be frighted by her sudden
appearance.

"You are a good, mindful girl," said Miss Balquidder. "How did you
learn to be so sensible?"

At the kindly word and manner, Elizabeth, bewildered and exhausted
with the excitement she had gone through, and agitated by the feeling
of having, for the first time in her life, to act on her own
responsibility, gave way a little. She did not exactly cry, but she
was very near it.

Miss Balquidder called over the stair-head, in her quick, imperative
voice--

"David, is your wife away to her bed yet?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then tell her to fetch this young woman to the kitchen and give her
some supper. And afterward, will you see her safe home, poor lassie?
She's awfully tired, you see."

"Yes, ma'am."

And following David's gray head, Elizabeth, for the first time since
she came to London, took a comfortable meal in a comfortable kitchen,
seasoned with such stories of Miss Balquidder's goodness and
generosity, that when, an hour after, she went home and to sleep, it
was with a quieter and more hopeful than she could have believed