He, meanwhile, said nothing, but looked away to the hills, with the setting sun behind them, and stood so still that she wondered whether she had stunned him by her onslaught. A sob escaped her, and then he turned slowly. “That it should be left to you, a girl, to teach me my duty!” he said most gently. “I’m ashamed of myself, as I ought to be. Pray Heaven I haven’t left it too late. Don’t cry, child, don’t speak until you’ve heard what I think. It’s just this: it’s a thousand pities I didn’t know you as well as I do now half a dozen years ago. True, you were very young then, but I dare say you had ten times more sense, even then, in your head, than I have in mine now. Dry your eyes, child, dry your eyes,” he went on in a brighter and more energetic tone: “You’ve got more to tell me, more help to give. Tell me, what you would advise? If it isn’t too late how shall I begin?” Her timidity, her hesitation were gone again in a moment. Rhoda was so desperately interested in him and his happiness that, as soon as an opening came for her to help, her instinct came to her aid and once more she said the right thing in the right way. “Take her away,” said she. “Don’t let her go away by herself, but make her travel with you. When you’re once away from your pictures and curios you will have to depend upon her. And you must teach her to depend upon you.” The advice was so shrewd, so good, that he looked at her for a few moments in silent admiration before he said: “It’s excellent advice, but do you think I can take it? Where should we go? I should be lost----” “Ah!” cried Rhoda, putting up her finger warningly. “You mustn’t be. That will be the hard part of it for you; in fact all the hardship will be yours. But you will have to take it, for she won’t help you.” He nodded in meek but vague acquiescence. “And where am I to take her?” he asked submissively. “Why not to Egypt for the winter?” said Rhoda boldly. “You will find plenty to interest you there.” And already she saw a light of interest in his eyes, “and the very novelty of the thing will be enough to please Lady Sarah.” He nodded appreciatively. “It’s a good suggestion certainly. But there will be difficulties.” “Plenty of them,” admitted Rhoda. “But nothing that you won’t be able to get over, now that you see there is danger in leaving her too much to herself and her own ways.” “Yes, yes. And Caryl----” “You can trust him with me, can’t you?” The look of straightforward gratitude and trust on his face as he exchanged looks with her was balm to her heart. “And now,” he said, “I can’t thank you. I can only pray that--that your advice has come--in time.” The look of gravity on his face showed Rhoda, who shivered as she glanced at him, that he appreciated the extent of the danger to which his easy-going temper had brought him and his wife.