“I’m not by myself, exactly! Olga Brimont, who was in the Convent with me, came too. But she is ill, so she’s upstairs. She has come to her brother who is in Brussels, and we travelled together. We had the same cabin on board the steamer, and Olga was very ill. One night the doctor thought she was going to die! I stayed with her all the time. I used to sit up with her at night, but it did her no good. We stopped in London because we wanted to buy some dresses and things, but she was not able to go out, and I had to go alone. Her brother is away from Brussels at present so he wrote her to stay in Heyst till he could fetch her, and as I had nowhere particular to go, I came with her! And she is better already! She has been fast asleep all the afternoon!” “And what will you do when your friend leaves you?” asked Mrs. Pullen. “O! I don’t know! Travel about, I suppose! I shall go wherever it may please me!” “Are you not going to take a walk this evening?” demanded Elinor Leyton in a low voice of her friend, wishing to put a stop to the conversation. “Certainly! I told nurse I would join her and baby by-and-by!” “Shall I fetch your hat then?” enquired Miss Leyton, as she rose to go up to their apartments. “Yes! if you will, dear, please, and my velvet cape, in case it should turn chilly!” “I will fetch mine too!” cried Miss Brandt, jumping up with alacrity. “I may go with you, mayn’t I? I’ll just tell Olga that I’m going out and be down again in five minutes!” and without waiting for an answer, she was gone. “See what you have brought upon us!” remarked Elinor in a vexed tone. “Well! it was not my fault,” replied Margaret, “and after all, what does it signify? It is only a little act of courtesy to an unprotected girl. I don’t dislike her, Elinor! She is very familiar and communicative, but fancy what it must be like to find herself her own mistress, and with money at her command, after ten years’ seclusion within the four walls of a convent! It is enough to turn the head of any girl. I think it would be very churlish to refuse to be friendly with her!” “Well! I hope it may turn out all right! But you must remember how Ralph cautioned us against making any acquaintances in a foreign hotel.” “But I am not under Ralph’s orders, though you may be, and I should not care to go entirely by the advice of so very fastidious and exclusive a gentleman as he is! My Arthur would never find fault with me, I am sure, for being friendly with a young unmarried girl.” “Anyway, Margaret, let me entreat you not to discuss my private affairs with this new _protégée_ of yours. I don’t want to see her saucer eyes goggling over the news of my engagement to your brother-in-law!” “Certainly I will not, since you ask it! But you hardly expect to keep it a secret when Ralph comes down here, do you?” “Why not? Why need anyone know more than that he is your husband’s brother?”