He must have known, of course, that she was not, but, nevertheless, He stayed. "I understand perfectly," He assured her. "But, nevertheless, I don't give you up. You may be, for all you know, more interesting to me than all the others put together. And remember this--every time you do anything at all kind or thoughtful, every time you think of any one or care for them, every time you use your influence for good in any way, my power over you is a little stronger, I shall be a little closer to you, your escape will be a little harder." "Oh, you needn't flatter yourself," she answered Him. "There's precious little danger of _my_ self-sacrifice or love for others. That's not going to be my attitude to life at all. You'd better not waste your time over me." She had not, she might triumphantly reflect, during these eight years, given Him many chances, and yet He was still there. She hated the thought of His patience, and somewhere deep within herself she dreaded the faint, dim beat of some response that, like a warning bell across a misty sea, cautioned her. "You may think you're safe from Him, but He'll catch you yet." "He shan't," she replied. "I'm stronger than He is." II This must sound, in so prosaic a summary of it, fantastic, but nothing could be said to be fantastic about Sarah. She was, for one thing, quite the least troublesome of children. She could be relied upon, at any time, to find amusement for herself. She was full of resources, but what these resources exactly were it would be difficult to say. She would sit for hours alone, staring in front of her. She never played with toys--she did not draw or read--but she was never dull, and always had the most perfect of appetites. She had never, from the day of her birth, known an hour's illness. It was, however, in the company of other children that she was most characteristic. The nurses in the Square quite frankly hated her, but most of the mothers had a very real regard for Lady Charlotte's smart little lunches; moreover, it was impossible to detect Sarah's guilt in any positive fashion. It was not enough for the nurses to assure their mistresses that from the instant that the child entered the gardens all the other children were out of temper, rebellious, and finally unmanageable. "Nonsense, Janet, you imagine things. She seems a very nice little girl." "Well, ma'am, all I can say is, I won't care to be answerable for Master Ronald's behaviour when she _does_ come along, that's all. It's beyond belief the effect she 'as upon 'im."