"If only this could go on for ever," she said to herself; "but somehow I feel so afraid it can't last. She is so sweet, so affectionate"--the "she" was Camilla--"when we are together, but even now I believe she has forgotten my existence." Indeed, though a daily report of the children's doings was sent to London, Mrs. Lancing had not even scribbled a word to the girl in reply. She wrote to Mrs. Brenton, she telegraphed, she telephoned, and she sent all manner of things to her children, but she showed no signs of remembrance to Caroline. "And"--then the girl mused--"I am all very well now, but Betty will want a real governess in a little while. It will be very hard to leave them. I almost think," said Caroline, a little unsteadily, "that I was better off when I had no chance of growing very attached to any one. It cannot hurt to part when one does not know how sweet it is to care and to be cared for." Cheerless and yet grey as the country was in its wintry aspect, it had always a charm and a beauty for Caroline. Halfway to the town she marked a bush standing high above the hedge, on which clustered some brilliant red berries. "Those are just what Betty wants," she said to herself. But she deferred picking them till her return. The afternoon light was beginning to fade as she left the town; she was laden with parcels, her arms were quite full. She had just passed into the long road that led to Yelverton, when a cab overtook her. It was an open fly, and a man sat in it alone, with some luggage piled in front of him. Caroline just glanced round, and then to her surprise she recognized Rupert Haverford, who quickly stopped the cab as he in his turn recognized her. "Are you walking?" he asked. "But it is getting quite dark, you will lose your way!" She laughed. "Oh, impossible! It is a straight road, one could not go astray." "Give me some of those things," said Haverford, and he began to unload her arms. "This looks like Christmas." Then he said, "You will let me give you a lift?" Caroline hesitated a moment, and then said, "Thank you. But I must stop a little way down," she said, "because I want to get some berries for Betty. I will tell you when we get to the place." As he sat beside her in the cab, Rupert Haverford put a question to her rather eagerly. "Do you know what train Mrs. Lancing came by?" "Mrs. Lancing? She had not arrived when I left," Caroline answered. "I think she was expected just before dinner. At least, I heard Mrs. Brenton arranging that the carriage should go to meet the quick train down from London. I believe she expected that you would come together." "It was arranged we were to come together," said Haverford. But that was all he said; he began immediately to talk about Caroline herself. "No doubt you will have been expecting to hear from me, Miss Graniger?" Caroline said "No," in a quiet way. He looked at her. "Surely yes. You must have expected to hear from me?"