"He ought to have me at home with him," she thought. "I have seen him like this now and then, and he's mostly not well. He's beautiful when he talks as he did to-day, but he's mostly not well when he does it. I 'spect he's nearer Lord Jesus when he's not well, that must be it. My most perfect father wants me to be good; I don't want to be good a bit, but I must, to please him." Just then a somewhat shrill and petulant voice called the child. "My dear Sibyl, where _have_ you been? What are you doing on the dog-cart? How unladylike. Jump down this minute." The man pulled up the mare, and Sibyl jumped to the ground. She met her mother's angry face with a smile which she tried hard to make sweet. "I didn't do anything naughty, really, Mummy," she said. "Father took me to the station to say good-by. He's off back to town, and he took me with him, and I came back on the twap." "Don't say twap, sound your 'r'--trap." "Tw-rap," struggled Sibyl over the difficult word. "And now you are to go into the house and ask Nurse to put on your best dress. I am going to take you to a garden party, immediately after lunch. Mr. Rochester and Lady Helen Douglas are coming with us. Be quick." "Oh, 'licious," said Sibyl. She rushed into the house, and up to the nursery. Nurse was there waiting to deck her in silk and lace and feathers. The little girl submitted to her toilet, and now took a vast interest in it. "You must make me quite my prettiest self," she said to the nurse; "you must do your very best, 'cos mother----" "What about your mother now, missy?" "'Cos mother's just a little----Oh, nothing," said Sibyl, pulling herself up short. "She likes me best when I'm pretty," continued the child; "but father likes me always. Nursie, do you know that my ownest father came down here to-day, and that I dwove to the station to see him off? Did you know it?" "No, Miss Sibyl, I can't say I did." "He talked to me in a most pwivate way," continued Sibyl. "He told me most 'portant things, and I promised him, Nursie--I promised him that I'd----Oh, no! I won't tell you. Perhaps I won't be able to keep my promise, and then you'd----Nothing, Nursie, nothing; don't be 'quisitive. I can see in your face that you are all bursting with 'quisitiveness; but you aren't to know. I am going to a party with my own mother after lunch, and Lady Helen is coming, and Mr. Rochester. I like them both very much indeed. Lady Helen told me stories last night. She put her arm round my waist, and she talked to me; and I told her some things, too, and she laughed." "What did you tell her, Miss Sibyl?" "About my father and mother. She laughed quite funnily. I wish people wouldn't; it shows how little they know. It's 'cos they are so far from being perfect that they don't understand perfect people. But there's the lunch gong. Yes, I do look very nice. Good-by, Nursie."