Here she looked first at Annie and then at Priscilla. "Certainly not," said Annie. "I do not mind anything." Priscilla was quite silent. Just then one of the waiters appeared with a telegram. It was to Lady Lushington. She opened it. There were only four bedrooms available at the "Beau Sejour." Annie spoke impulsively. "I tell you what," she said. "I won't be in the way; I won't. I will go back to England to-night. I can go with Mr Manchuri, that funny old Jew gentleman whom I have been so friendly with. I know he will let me travel with him. It is just too bad, Lady Lushington; you must let me. I have been, oh! so happy, and it will be a cruel disappointment to go; but I will. Yes, I will go." "Seeing that your uncle is ill, perhaps--" began Lady Lushington. "Oh, please don't think that it is on account of that. Uncle Maurice constantly has these attacks. He is probably as well as ever by now; but it is just because I _won't_ crowd you up." "But, Annie," said Mabel in a troubled voice, "you know I can't live without you." "It is very awkward indeed," said Lady Lushington--"very awkward. The fact is, I can't very well spare you; you are of great use to me." Priscilla rose from the table. She had scarcely touched anything during the meal. "I think I know what Annie Brooke means," she said. "She means that one of us two girls is to offer to go back, and she naturally does not intend to go herself." "But I offered to go. How cruel you are!" said Annie. "I _will_ go, too," she added, pouting and looking at once pretty and petulant. "Yes, Lady Lushington, I will go.--Mabel, I can't help it. You are my very dearest ownest friend; but I won't crowd you up. You will have Priscie." "No," said Priscilla mournfully; "I am no use. I don't think at present I love people, and I can't talk much, and I can't wear"--she hesitated--"the dresses that other people wear. I will go. I have had a beautiful time, and I have seen the mountains. It is something to have had even a glimpse of the higher Alps; they are like nothing else. A little disappointment is nothing when one has had such great joy. I will go to-night if Mr Manchuri will let me accompany him." "It does seem reasonable, Miss Weir," said Lady Lushington. "We can't stay on here, for our rooms are let, and I won't go anywhere at Zermatt except to the `Beau Sejour.' As to one of you girls sleeping out it cannot be thought of, although I did propose that two of you might--that is, together; but there seem to be difficulties. You have not been very happy with us, have you, Miss Weir?" "You have been the cause of great happiness to me, and I thank you from my heart," said Priscilla. "Well, my dear, I will of course pay your fare back. I hope we may meet again some day. Then that is settled.--Annie, please go at once and wire that we will engage the four rooms, and--who will see Mr Manchuri and arrange with him to let Priscilla accompany him to England?"