“Oh, little Lenny is out with his nurse,” said Anna, willingly answering the easiest part of the observation first. “And uncle and Dick are sleeping off their last night’s fatigue, I suppose.” “No, poor souls! they are incurring more fatigue,” said Anna, smiling, and trying to give a light and playful turn to the conversation. “Why, where are they gone?” exclaimed Drusilla, raising her brows in surprise. “On a nice little jaunt to Southampton.” “To Southampton? What is the occasion?” “Well, you see, one of Dick’s good-for-nothing ‘friends,’ or rather, to speak the exact truth, one of his former good-for-nothing ‘friends’ has been getting himself into trouble. Of course poor Dick must needs take pity on him, and so my poor fellow and my grandfather have both gone down to Southampton to get _him_—Dick’s old friend—out of it.” “Ah! and that was the matter with Dick and uncle this morning at breakfast?” “Yes. Dick had the subject on his mind, and wished to break it to grandpa, and grandpa saw that he had something to say to him, and was both longing and dreading to hear it; for, to tell the truth, I suppose he was fearing that Dick himself had got into a mess of some sort, and I dare say you were thinking the same thing, Drusilla.” “Well, perhaps I was; for our affections make us fearful for those we love, Anna; and you and Dick are just as dear to me as the dearest brother and sister could possibly be.” “Well, darling, I know that, and your love is not lost on us, you may be sure. Be at ease on our behalf, as it was not Dick but one of his old friends that got into a scrape.” “I am both glad and sorry. I am glad it was not Dick, and sorry that I did him the wrong to think it could have been. But—who was it, then, Anna, if I may ask?” “Ah! now, my dear, that would be telling. I assure you Dick would not have told grandpa if he could have got along without his assistance; and he would not even have told me, his wife, if he could have helped it. I am sure he would not like to tell any one else. Now you are not offended?” “Offended? Oh dear, no—certainly not, Anna. Of course I see such delicate difficulties as I suppose this of Dick’s friend to be, should be kept secret from all except those immediately concerned in settling them——I wonder why that girl doesn’t bring little Lenny in?” said Drusilla, suddenly changing the subject, and going to the window to look out. “Yes, it is time she did, indeed. I dare say she will be here with him in a few minutes,” answered Anna, very glad to have weathered the storm she had so much dreaded. “Anna, dear, what time did Pina take little Lenny out?” inquired Drusilla, rather uneasily. “Immediately before luncheon.” “What time was that to-day?” “About two o’clock.” “And now it is after four; and she has had him out more than two hours, in the hottest part of the day, too. What _could_ have tempted her to take the child out at this time of the day?”