"A great deal more seriously than you imagine!" sighed Peggy dolefully. "Oh, why did you come and interrupt? You don't know how important it is. How did you come to see me here at all?" "I was going into the house to give myself a brush up in your father's room, and I saw a glimpse of your dress through the tree." "And the others--are they coming too? I don't want them to see me; they must not see me." "No! No! They are sitting with your mother, having a smoke until lunch is ready. You need not be afraid; but tell me what is the matter? What on earth induced you to think of doing such a mad thing?" Peggy leant against the ladder, and sighed in helpless resignation. She had not yet descended from her perch, so that her face was almost on a level with Hector's own. The hazel eyes had lost their mocking gleam, and the peaked brows were furrowed with distress; it was a very forlorn and disconsolate but withal charming little Peggy who faltered out her humiliating confession. "I--have been--so naughty, Hector! I'm supposed to be housekeeper, and I forgot to send my orders to the tradesmen last night, so that nothing has arrived this morning. That's my store-room up there, and the key is lost, and I _must_ get in, or you will have nothing to eat. I daren't tell father, for he has warned me to be careful over and over again, and he would be so angry. I'm in a horrible scrape, Hector, and there's no other way out of it. Do please, please, go away and let me get on!" Hector stared at her, his handsome face blank with astonishment. Given a hundred guineas, he would never have thought of such an explanation, and coming from a home where the advent of a dozen unexpected visitors would have made no confusion, he found it difficult to realise the seriousness of the occasion. There was no doubting Peggy's distress, however, and that was the important point. Whether she was imagining her trouble or not, he must come to her aid, and that as quickly as possible. He stretched out his arms, set her lightly on the ground, and put his own foot on the ladder. "I will stay and help you," he said firmly; "that will be better than going away! You don't expect me to walk off and leave you to risk your little neck climbing up ladders to provide food for me, do you? Not quite, Peggy, I think! Tell me what to do, and I'll do it. You want me to get into the room up there?" Peggy looked at him doubtfully. The window was small, and Hector was big; she was afraid he would find it no easy task, but his ready offer relieved and touched her more than she could express, for he had such an acute sense of his own dignity that it meant much for him to perform such a feat. "You really mean it? It is good of you! You don't mind doing it to help me?" "I'd do a great deal more than that to please you, Peggy, if you would give me the chance!"