I told him all my adventures, and about the dogs and cats and birds, and then I asked what on earth I should do now. "I suppose I shall have to go back to New York," I said gloomily, "and cable to my brother. I could stop at some _pension_ and wait till I heard--a quiet _pension_, Mrs. Stuyvesant-Knox wouldn't be likely to know about." "You alone in a New York boarding house!" exclaimed Mr. Brett. "Never." "Then could you find me a Chicago one?" "There'd be nothing to choose between. No, Lady Betty, but I can suggest something better. Only--I don't know how you'll take it. Wouldn't you rather be near Miss Woodburn than anything else, until your future plans are settled?" "Of course," said I, "but that's impossible now." "I'm not so sure. I think--in fact I know, where she is. You say Mrs. Hale's maid told you she'd gone to Ohio, to take care of a sick friend. I can tell you where that friend lives, and her name, because I have relatives in the neighbourhood. I don't often go there, but I've heard from them of Miss Woodburn's visits. My cousins have a farm; and I was wondering whether you could content yourself boarding with them for awhile, so near Miss Woodburn you could see her every day?" "Oh, I should love it," I cried. "But would they have me?" "They would be happy to have you, I know. The only question is, would _you_ be happy? They're simple folk, with simple ways, such as you would expect of my people, Lady Betty; but they've hearts of gold." "Like yours," I thought; but I didn't say it. I said instead that I was fond of simple ways. And I asked where the place was, and if it was far off? "It will take us about twelve hours to get there," he answered. "Us?" I echoed. "Why, you can't----" "I can if you'll let me," said, he, growing red. "I've finished my business in Chicago, already, and----" "What, while I was away?" "It was a short affair, though important." "But I thought you weren't going to leave the hotel till I wrote?" "I didn't need to. My friend came to me, and we fixed up everything between us in a few minutes. Now, I'm free again; and my idea in any case was to drop in on my Ohio cousins. You see, twelve hours' travelling is nothing to us Americans, and they wouldn't like it if I didn't just say 'how do you do,' when I'm so near." "Oh, well, if that's really true, and you aren't doing it only to help me," said I, with a sigh of relief. "I was afraid you were. I shouldn't mind the journey a bit if you were with me; but I do hope we'll have the same kind of ticket this time. Do get mine like yours, won't you?" His eyes had a beautiful expression in them as he thanked me, and said he would do the best he could; only I couldn't exactly make it out. I hoped it wasn't pity, but I'm afraid it may have been, as I must have seemed rather forlorn, depending so entirely upon him.