"Awkward, I should say. Shouldn't you now pronounce her awkward?" "I think I should. I don't know her very well, you see. I have only seen her once, and Marcia has told me about her. She is a very difficult girl." "And how long is it since she left home?" "She left home last Saturday week. She ran away first to Scarborough to stay with some friends. We were all distressed about that, and we had to tell a story to Mrs Aldworth which partly satisfied her. We didn't tell her anything that wasn't true. We said Nesta had gone to stay with the Griffiths, and we thought it best that she should stay there for a few days. Then we got Mrs Aldworth to Hurst Castle, and she has been doing splendidly ever since. But the difficulty is that we shall have to tell her soon that we really don't know where Nesta is. We don't know, and we are in great trouble." "Oh, my dear, I am sure trouble is very bad for you, you look so frail. There now, I wonder when Mercy will bring the tea." Mrs Johnston had scarcely uttered these words before the room door was opened, and Mercy, her cheeks crimson with excitement at the greatness of the honour conferred upon her, laid a delicately prepared tea on the centre table. There was silver of the oldest and quaintest pattern; there was china thin as an eggshell; there was a little silver teapot, in short everything was perfection. There were cakes of the very lightest that Mercy's skilful hands could make. Angela was the last person to despise such a meal; on the contrary, she received it with marked appreciation. "How delicious! How much, much nicer than the meal I should have had at Castle Walworth. Oh, how good of you, how good of you to get it for me. But you must let me pour out the tea, and give you a cup." The radiant face, the shining eyes, the sympathetic manner, all did their work on cross old Mrs Johnston. Why couldn't other people come in like Angela and make sunshine all round them? What was the matter with Mrs Johnston that she forgot her ailments and her crotchets, and her disagreeablenesses? She was only anxious now to please her young guest. "There now," she said, "it is good for sair een to look at you. You have cheered me and heartened me up wonderfully. But as I was saying, troubles aren't good for you, dear, you are fretting yourself, I'm sure." "I am really anxious, though I know I oughtn't to be. I am sure things will come right, I have always thought so. They do come right in the long run, but still Mrs Aldworth is so delicate, and Nesta has run away again from the people she was staying with at Scarborough."