The small arms went with sudden desperate clinging round his neck; Sheila Pat pressed her cheek hard into his. "She must be punished," said Miss Kezia. "She has been wandering about alone for more than three hours." "We’ll see about that to-morrow," Denis said. Nell went towards the kitchen. "Where are you going, Eileen?" "To make her some hot bread and milk." "It is perfectly absurd the way you none seem to think she should be punished—" "I shall make her promise never to go out alone again." "She shared that cabman’s tea," grimly; "that is sufficient. I will not have her coddled and fussed over as if she has done something clever." "She must have the bread and milk. She is tired and shivering." Nell’s eyes looked dark, her head was back. For a moment Miss Kezia hesitated whether she should enforce her words. She glanced keenly at Nell’s face. "If it is to stave off a cold, I will say no more," she said, and turned away. When Nell took the bread and milk up, she found Sheila Pat on Denis’s knee, flushed, heavy-eyed, half asleep. "I don’t want it, Nell! Make her take it away, Denis!" Her tone was peevish. "Not I. I want you to eat it. Come, try, old girl." But the Atom turned her head away, and buried it deeper in his chest. "I don’t want it! I don’t want it!" "But you’ve got to try and eat it, Sheila Pat! Come, don’t be a baby." She sat up listlessly. "I’ll feed you. We’ll pretend you are a baby, shall we?" Halfway through it her heavy lids drooped, her weary little head fell back against his shoulder. Nell took the basin away. "I’ll get her to bed as quickly as I can," she whispered. "Molly, run and fetch her nightie—to warm." But the Atom clung wearily to Denis. "I don’t want to go to bed. Denis, need I go to bed?" "Must, old lady." "May I go in my clothes, then? I don’t want to get undressed." "You’ll be so much more cosey, dear," coaxed Nell. "It won’t take a minute." Denis put her down. She stood gazing into the fire, her sleepy eyes closing now and then. "Oh, Nell—why does a person have such a lot of clothes?" as her arms were dragged out of various garments. "Oh—leave my chimmy on—" "Need I have my stockin’s off?" In her blue flannel nightgown she knelt in front of a chair and said her prayers. She roused over them. "I’ve got a new bit to-night," she said, and gave a curious little shudder. "I’m goin’ to pray it to Jesus as well as God." When she had finished Nell carried her into their bedroom, wrapped in a warmed blanket. "Good night, Nell." Sheila Pat’s arms clung tight. Three times Nell peeped in that evening, and found her tossing restlessly, wide-eyed. When she came to bed, Sheila Pat was still awake. She sat up. "Nell, I’ve been very inceitful!" "You’re going to tell me why you went out?" "Yes." Nell sat down on the bed and took her, blankets and all, into her lap. "Now, sweetheart." But the Atom was silent. She wriggled restlessly.