"There, my child," he continued, "I'll speak gently to you. She is a dear good woman, this nurse, and of course poor Neil has been thrown with her a great deal--as doctor and nurse, of course. Come, my dear, let it go. I tell you, as his father, it is not true. And now you, Dana--have you caught the complaint? Has Al laughed and joked with one of the keepers' daughters?" "No, sir, but he has made and kept assignations with Nurse Elisia in the woods." "What? It is not true, girl. I could--no, no, I will not be angry. I must not; but I am angry with you, my dears, and yet I'm not, for I'm glad to see more depth in your affection for the boy than has been apparent on the surface. Tell me now: you have not accused them--made this silly, reckless charge?" "It is of no use to beat about the bush, daddy," said Saxa sadly. "We have not seen the boys; and we will not see them, dear. We are going back home at once." "You are not going back home at once," cried their guardian, "and you are going to see them. Dana, ring the bell." "No, no, sir," said Saxa, "there is no need to get up a scene. We'll go away quietly at once." "Ring that bell!" "But, daddy--dear guardian--Mr Elthorne!" cried Saxa imploringly. "Ring that bell, I say," cried Ralph Elthorne, with the veins starting in his temples and his face becoming purple. "Do you think I am going to lie here and let my two boys be maligned by that silly piece of scandal you hare-brained girls have got in your heads? My son Neil would not degrade himself like that. My boy Alison would not be such a scoundrel. Ring, I say, ring, and they shall confront you, both of them, and tell you it is a lie." "Very well," cried Dana, and she gave the bell a sharp snatch. "Who has told you this--one of the servants?" Before he could be answered the two doors of the room flew open, Nurse Elisia entering hurriedly by one, Neil by the other. Neither spoke; they read the trouble at a glance. "Where is Alison?" said Ralph Elthorne, speaking as if his son were a little boy about to be punished. "Fetch him here." "My dear father," said Neil firmly, "you are exciting yourself. I must insist--" "Fetch Alison." The command was so fiercely given that, seeing it would be better to comply than oppose his father and, perhaps, bring on some terrible seizure, Neil frowned and withdrew, while his father turned to Nurse Elisia. "Go to your room now," he said. "I will speak to you presently. My sons first." "Mr Elthorne--for your own sake--pray be calm." "To your room," he cried hoarsely. "Wait." The nurse looked wildly from one sister to the other, and a pang of jealousy shot through them as they saw it was no common woman who had stepped between them and the smooth, even course of their fate. Then, after another imploring glance at Elthorne, she slowly left the room.