"Oh, Ralph; you funny little boy!" she said; "what are you talking about?" "You don't understand Harriet," was Ralph's next speech, and he looked at Robina without the favour he used to bestow upon her. She was his school-mother and, of course, the one he loved best; but still she had never saved his life. "I wish I could see my darling Harriet," he said, after a pause. "I wish I could see her all by my lone self. I want to talk to her. We has a great secret atween us." The doctor, however, had forbidden Ralph to leave his bed that day, and certainly Harriet could not leave hers. In consequence, the children did not meet for a few days, and then it was rather a pale little boy who rushed into the arms of a thin, pale girl who, weak from the somewhat severe attack she had gone through, was seated in an easy chair not far from an open window. "Now go 'way, all of you," said Ralph, "I want to talk to my ownest school-mother. I has a great secret to talk over with her." The others obeyed without any protest. Robina, when she left the room, turned to Jane. "I am sure of one thing," she said: "something must have happened that day when Ralph and Harriet were left alone together. They were both quite well even although Harriet was cross when we started on our expedition to the beach; but they both got ill that very night, and since then, Ralph has altered: he is devoted to Harriet." "Perhaps he has learned to love Harriet best," said Jane. In spite of herself, there was a tone of triumph in her voice, for was not Harriet her friend, and did not every one else adore Robina? "Would you mind?" she asked, fixing her round black eyes now on Robina's face. "Mind?" replied Robina. "Yes," she said, after a little pause, "I don't like to own to such a horrid feeling, but I am proud of Ralph's love." She turned away as she spoke. She was going to her own room. In order to reach it, she had to pass the tiny chamber where Ralph slept. She found one of the maid-servants coming out. The woman had in her hand a little white drill suit all soaked through and much stained with the green weed which grows on ponds. "I have just found this, miss," she said, "in the cupboard in Master Ralph's room. I wonder how it came there. Surely, little Master Ralph has not had a ducking in the pond." Robina felt the colour rushing into her face. For a minute, a sense of triumph filled her. Then she said, gently: "Send that suit to the wash, please, Maria; and," she added, "do not say anything about it." "There are stockings too, miss, all sopping, and shoes." "You can have the shoes dried, can't you?" said Robina. "Oh, yes, miss, certainly." "Well, send all the other things to the wash." "Yes, miss," said the girl. "Perhaps," she added, after a pause, "these things account for little Master Ralph not being well for the last few days." "They may or may not, Maria: anyhow, we won't talk about that," said Robina.