"Hallo--hallo! Where have you dropped from?" said a voice at that moment in my ears, and, looking up, I saw that Sir John Carrington was a man who had come all the way from India on board the _Pleiades_, and that, of course, I knew him quite well. "Why, Heather," he said. "My dear," he continued, turning to his wife, "here's Major Grayson's little girl. Heather, child, what are you doing here?" "I am looking for Anastasia," I said, in a bewildered sort of way. Lady Carrington had a most sweet face. I had never noticed before how very lovely and kind it could be. "You poor little darling," she said, "Anastasia isn't here." Then she began whispering to her husband and looking down at me, and her soft, brown eyes filled with tears, and Sir John shook his head and I heard him say, "Dear, dear, how very pathetic!" and then Lady Carrington said, "We must take her home with us, John." "No, no," I answered at that; "I can't go home--I must wait until the _next_ train, for Anastasia will come by the _next_ train." "We'll see that she's met," said Sir John. "Come, Heather, you've got to come home with us." I have often wondered since what my subsequent life would have been had I really gone home that night with Sir John and Lady Carrington, whether the troubles which lay before me would ever have existed, and whether I should have been the Heather I now am, or not. But be that as it may, just as Lady Carrington had put sixpence into the hand of my kind porter and was leading me away towards the beautiful motor car which was waiting for her, a strong and very bony hand was laid on my shoulder, and a voice said fiercely, and yet with a tremble in it: "Well, you are enough to try the nerves of anybody, you bad, naughty child!" "Oh, Aunt Penelope," I said. "Oh, Aunt Penelope, I can't go back with you!" "We knew this little girl," said Sir John; "she came from India on board the _Pleiades_ with us." "Heather Grayson came from India on board the _Pleiades_ to live with me," said Aunt Penelope. "Her father has just committed her to my care. She is an extremely naughty child. I haven't the least idea who you are." "This is my card," said Sir John. When Aunt Penelope read the words on the card she became kinder in her manner. "I suppose I must welcome you back again, Sir John," she said. "It is years and years since you visited your native place. But I won't detain you now. Heather, come with me." "Pray give us your name," said Lady Carrington. "Miss Despard, of Hill View," was her answer, and then she took my hand and led me out into the street.