And, indeed, the youth in her face was as careless as David's own. But it flagged when he added that he hoped her brother would not think the care of David would be too much for her. "Oh, no," she said, briefly. "I feel like saying 'I told you so'! I knew you would like to have a child about." "I do, but he is a tyrant. Aren't you, David? I have to get up for breakfast!" "Terrible," said William delightedly. "Why, but it _is_. I don't know when I've done such a thing! At first I thought I really couldn't. But I couldn't leave him all by himself, down-stairs--could I, David?" "I'd just as lieves," said David, gently. "Oh, how like your sex!" Helena cried. "What do you suppose I've come for?" Dr. King began in the bantering tone one uses to a child. "I've come to get you to exert your influence to improve business. _Business!_" he repeated, delighted at his own absurdity; "a lady who finds it hard to get up in the mornings." She looked at him ruefully; "I'm lazy, I am afraid." "No, you're not--it's a very sensible thing to do, if you are not strong. Well, I must tell you what we want; Sam Wright is anxious, because young Sam neglects his work at the bank, and--" "But he doesn't like business," she explained with a surprised look; and William laughed with pleasure. "So that's a reason for not attending to it? Unfortunately, that's the young man's own point of view. He's a queer youngster," William added in his kind voice. "I don't think it's queer not to like disagreeable things," Helena said. "Well, no; but all the same, we've got to stand them. Sam has no patience with anything disagreeable. Why, when he was a little fellow--let me see, he was younger than David; about four, I think--he scratched his finger one day pretty severely; it smarted, I guess, badly. Anyway, he roared! Then he picked up a pair of scissors and ran bawling to his mother; 'Mamma, cut finger off! It hurts Sam--cut finger off!' That's been his principle ever since: 'it hurts--get rid of it.'" "I don't blame him in the least," Helena protested gayly; "I'm sure I've wanted to 'cut finger off.' And I have done it, too!" "Well," said the doctor with great pretence of gravity, "I suppose, then, we'll have to tell old Mr. Wright that nobody must ever do anything he doesn't want to do? It appears that he's worried, too, because the young gentleman isn't industrious. The fact is, he thinks Sam would rather come up here than work over his ledgers," he teased. Helena sprung to her feet, nervously. "But I wish he wouldn't come! I don't want him to come. I can't help it; indeed I--I can't help it!" She spoke with a sort of gasp. Instantly David, who had been lounging in the swing, slipped down and planted himself directly in front of her, his arms stretched out at each side. "I'll take care of you," he said protectingly.