Mrs. Rebson wept all the time and cried out at intervals, and exclaimed indignantly at Ferdy's enemies, and altogether conducted herself as a partisan of that shifty youth. "But I knew that the Domestic Prophet could not lie," cried Mrs. Rebson, "though I never thought he meant my precious lamb. Oh, Miss Clarice, what is to be done? They will hang and quarter my darling baby." "No, no, Nanny. I can save him," said Clarice, soothingly. "And you will--you will?" "If you will consent to help me." "I would go to the scaffold for my Ferdy, sweetheart," said Mrs. Rebson, fervently, whereupon Clarice explained how she meant to masquerade as her twin brother. Mrs. Rebson was startled, and expostulated in alarm. "Oh, my deary, it's a dreadful thing you would do. What would the world say?" "The world will never know, Nanny. That is why I want you to help me. I am supposed to be ill with this cold, so I can be thought to be in this room nursing it. While I am away don't let anyone enter, but attend to me as if I were really ill in bed. Everyone will think that, I am indisposed." "When will you be back?" asked Mrs. Rebson, shaking and nervous. "To-morrow some time. I can stop at some hotel in town." "Oh, Miss Clarice, a young lady without a chaperon." "I won't be a young lady, but a young man," said Clarice, impatiently, and crossing the room to look into a Gladstone bag which she had packed with masculine belongings. "A young gentleman, seeing that you are to be Master Ferdy," said Mrs. Rebson, with dignity. Then she began to beat her hands on her old knees. "Oh, dear, it is all very dreadful, and I don't know what your poor pa and ma would say. I don't think I should allow it." Clarice forbore to tell Mrs. Rebson that she had no power to forbid, since she was not now a nursery autocrat. But she wanted to set the old woman entirely on her side so as to carry out her plans. "If you think it would be better to let Ferdy get into trouble----" "No! no! oh, dear me, no, Miss Clarice! Anything but that. I'll say that you are ill in bed, and I shan't allow anyone into the room. But how will you get out of the house and away from the station without being recognised?" "I can dress as Ferdy, and slip out of the drawing-room window," explained Clarice, quietly, and getting a pair of scissors; "as to the station, there will probably be a crowd there, and I can get unnoticed into a carriage. Besides, everyone will take me to be Ferdy." "Not those who know you." "Oh, yes, I think so. I can imitate Ferdy exactly. I shall have to, if I want to deceive Zara Dumps." "The hussy" said Mrs. Rebson, vigorously; then, with a cracked scream, "Miss Clarice, what are you doing to your hair?" "Cutting it off," said Clarice, snipping vigorously. "I can't expect to masquerade successfully with a woman's hair."