The next moment, alarmed and amazed, she found her mother's convulsive arms about her, her mother's trembling voice in her ears. "It'll mean all the world to me, Betty--oh, Betty, my baby!" "Why, mother!" exclaimed the girl, aghast and shaken. But already her mother had drawn herself up, and was laughing through her tears. "Dear, dear, but only look at the fuss this old mother-bird is making at the first flight of her young one!" she chattered gayly. "Come, no more of this! We'll be late. We'll get ready right away. You say you have the letter from the doctor. Don't forget that." "No, I won't. I have it all safe," tossed the girl over her shoulder, as she hurried away for her hat and coat. A minute later she came back to find her mother shrouding herself in the black veil. "Oh, mother, dear, _please_! You aren't going to wear that horrid veil to-day, are you?" she remonstrated. "Why, yes, dear. Why not?" "I don't like it a bit. And it's so thick! I can't see a bit of _you_ through it." "Can't you? Good!" (Vaguely Betty wondered at the almost gleeful tone of the voice.) "Then nobody can see my eyes--and know that I've been crying." "Ho! they wouldn't, anyway," frowned Betty. "Your eyes aren't red at all, mother." But the mother only laughed again gleefully--and fastened the veil with still another pin. A minute later mother and daughter left the house together. It was not a long ride to the foot of the street that led up the hill to Burke Denby's home. With carefully minute directions as to the return home at night, Helen left her daughter halfway up the hill, with the huge wrought-iron gates of the Denby driveway just before her. "And now remember everything--_everything_, dear," she faltered, clinging a little convulsively to her daughter's arm. "Dear, dear, but I'm not sure I ought to let you go--after all," she choked. "Nonsense, mumsey! Of course you ought to let me go!" "Then you must remember to tell me everything--when you come home to-night--_everything_. I shall want to know every single little thing that's happened!" "I will, dear, I will. And don't worry. I'm sure I'm going to do all right," comforted the girl, plainly trying to quiet the anxious fear in her mother's voice. "And what a beautiful old place it is!" she went on, her admiring eyes sweeping the handsome house and spacious grounds beyond the gates. "I shall love it there, I know. And I'm so glad the doctor got it for me. Now, don't worry!" she finished with a gay wave of her hand as she turned and sped up the hill. The mother, with a last lingering look and a sob fortunately smothered in the enshrouding veil, turned and hurried away in the opposite direction.