“Nothing. At least, too long a story for repetition. I’m surprised that you should let her act as a beggar girl, and thus cause all the mischief that has followed from it.” “Nay--I--I--I can’t turn her,” Alice stammered apologetically. “I tried all I could--but what could I do? I followed on behind as well as I could; but lately, since we went back to the old life, I’ve seen very little of her. I--I wondered what all that fine dressing was for last night, when all along she’s been in mourning. And when she said she wouldn’t be back till into the morning, I felt that uneasy I wanted to go after her, only I couldn’t. But I’ve never spied on her, and she knows it. When I’ve followed her, I’ve followed her outright. She didn’t tell me she was coming to you--and I--I thought she was going somewhere else. But she perhaps wouldn’t bother to tell me she was coming here, because, although she called you ignorant, sir, I believe she had great faith in you. And I’ve always spoken ill of you since my last visit here. I--I thought it might help to harden her.” “Well, now you can come upstairs. I’ll take you. You’ll have nothing to do but watch till evening; but I want you to be there when she awakes. It will be somewhere about six. Then you will see she eats the meal that is prepared for her, and afterwards I should like to see her in this room. If you tell one of the attendants when the Princess is ready, she will conduct her here.” Then he led her upstairs, and when she saw her mistress sleeping peacefully, with such an utter change from the last months, she burst into tears and took the Master’s hand and wrung it in her own. “I knew it! I knew it!” she cried, veering round to her first opinion of him. “I knew it from the first, you were a clever man. I swore by you, till you turned on us so suddenly after Timothy died. But then we were all upset then.” And the Master looked at her with tolerant good-nature; for, when the mask was laid aside, he had sympathy and kindness too. And so Alice waited alone in the room, and commented to herself upon the curious furniture, and dwelt upon the Master’s conversation, and put two and two together, yet could make very little out of it, except the one thing positive--her mistress’s returning health. And soon after six, Marigold moved--the first time in all that day; and then she slept a little longer, and then moved again, and finally awoke. And it was Alice’s broad, good-natured face that first met her eye. And she sat up in bed, laughing and stretching her arms. “What’s the time?” “Six o’clock, Princess.” “How early! I think I’ll get up, though. I feel so ready to.” Alice smiled. “It’s six o’clock in the evening, Princess.” “Never!” “Indeed yes. You must take this food before rising, though.” And she brought in a tray from the outer room, that had just been left there. “Thank you. I feel quite hungry. Where--where are we? I know this room quite well. Where--where are we, Alice?”