That was how the affair looked to Mrs. Romilly. Christobel said no more. She was a wise, kind girl--moreover, she was becoming aware of some strange mesh of misunderstanding that had entangled them all. Pamela had had to bear the brunt of that horrible brooch affair--now _she_ was accused of this! The handkerchief was in her possession still, of course, and, as she examined it that night, Pamela’s odd suggestion came back to her with new force. At any rate Miss Anne would bring another mind and imagination to bear on these entanglements. Hughie, then, waited till next day, when he conveyed a secret invitation to Pamela to meet him in "the cave" at a certain hour for important conversation. Pamela went, and, curled up happily behind the barricade with her long legs doubled up under her, she heard the story of the Countess’ raid on the yawl and the way she had been circumvented. "Now what did she want to do?" said Pamela thoughtfully, her head against the big trunk. "_I_ rather guess----" said Hughie. "What?" "She wants to escape from Bell Bay. If I was her," he went on, clasping his ankles as he sat cross-legged--"if I was her, I should escape, but in a more sensible way, of course." "I see, escape to Salterne. I wonder if she has any money," considered Pamela. "Sure to--lots." "I wonder," went on Pam, "if Addie found out things on board; he never said a word to me." "Of course he did. The dinghy was all filthy mess, and there must have been a whole _field_ on the yawl! _I_ couldn’t stop to clean up. There was that girl, and besides, I was so wet." "Midget, you haven’t caught cold, have you?" asked Pamela anxiously. "No. I say, Pam--because Addie found out the mess was why you didn’t go to Salterne, don’t you see? It made things late--then you went to Peterock. I guessed that was it." Pamela saw also, in an instant. Then she told Hughie about the handkerchief; he nodded gravely. "Well, if Crow takes it to Miss Lasarge, perhaps _she’ll_ go and tell Sir Marmaduke. I wish they’d take that girl away--she spoils all our fun." Hughie sighed, then he remarked, "I told her it’s no use her raiding the yawl any more--I said Addie would lock her up. I said I’d tell him to, but he’ll do it jolly well without me telling." Pamela remained deep in thought as she reviewed this situation. "I wonder what that girl will do next," she said at last, and sighed. "Well, _I_ wish she’d put her head in a bag," remarked the Midget with quite unexpected coarseness; "she doesn’t seem to be any use." Now if anybody is thinking that the trouble at Champles Farm began and ended with poor Pamela’s anxious efforts, "he is deceived by his own vanity", as Mrs. Jeep would have said. The day was not ended before that worthy woman sent in a message by Keziah to know whether she could speak to mistress for a few moments. Mrs. Romilly departed to the housekeeper’s room, and presently left that comfortable sanctum more confused in mind than ever.