His lordship was scarcely gone when the major came. So closely did the appearance of the one follow on the disappearance of the other, that there was ground for suspecting the major had seen his lordship enter the house, and had been waiting and watching till he was gone. But she was not yet to be seen: she had no fear of the worst small-pox could do to her, yet was taking what measures appeared advisable for her protection. Her fearlessness came from no fancied absence of danger, but from an utter disbelief in chance. The same and only faith that would have enabled him to face the man-eating tiger, enabled her to face the small-pox; if she did die by going into such places, it was all right. For aught I know there may be a region whose dwellers are so little capable of being individually cared for, that they are left to the action of mere general laws as sufficient for what for the time can be done for them. Such may well to themselves seem to be blown about by all the winds of chaos and the limbo--which winds they call chance? Even then and there it is God who has ordered all the generals of their condition, and when they are sick of it, will help them out of it. One thing is sure--that God is doing his best for _every_ man. The major sat down and waited. "I am at my wits' end!" he said, when she entered the room. "I can't find the fellow! That detective's a muff! He ain't got a trace of him yet! I must put on another!--Don't you think you had better go home? I will do what can be done, you may be sure!" "I _am_ sure," answered Hester. "But mamma is better; so long as I am away papa will not leave her; and she would rather have papa than a dozen of me." "But it must be so dreary for you--here alone all day!" he said, with a touch of malice. "I go about among my people," she answered. "Ah! ah!" he returned. "Then I hope you will be careful what houses you go into, for I hear the small-pox is in the neighborhood." "I have just come from a house where it is now," she answered. The major rose in haste. "--But," she went on, "I have changed all my clothes, and had a bath since." The major sat down again. "My dear young lady!" he said, the roses a little ashy on his cheek-bones, "do you know what you are about?" "I hope I do--I _think_ I do" she answered. "Hope! Think!" repeated the major indignantly. "Well, _believe_," said Hester. "Come, come!" he rejoined with rudeness, "you may hope or think or believe what you like, but you have no business to act but on what you _know_." "I suppose you never act where you do not know!" returned Hester. "You always _know_ you will win the battle, kill the tiger, take the small-pox, and be the worse for it?" "It's all very well for you to laugh!" returned the major; "but what is to become of us if you take the small-pox! Why, my dear cousin, you might lose every scrap of your good looks!"