And as she looked at his thin face, and saw the flush of pleasure in his cheeks and the brightness which came into his eyes, as the nurse got up, and, smiling, gave her chair to the new-comer, Rhoda felt as if her heart would burst. “My dear Caryl,” she said as she bent to kiss him, “I’m afraid you won’t like to hear something I’ve got to tell you.” A look of vivid intelligence appeared on his face, and he glanced anxiously towards the nurse. “Oh, is it what she says?” he asked tremulously. “Are you going away?” Rhoda turned quickly. Had the possibility of her going been discussed, then, in the servants’ hall? “Yes, I’ve been here such a long time that my father and mother want to see me,” she said, trying to speak brightly. “You wouldn’t begrudge them a sight of their own daughter, would you?” “Not just a look at them, I wouldn’t begrudge you that,” he said. And then he called, “Nurse!” The girl came back into the room. “What is it, Master Caryl?” “Ask my father to come and see me, please.” Rhoda bent quickly to kiss him again, but he detained her, clinging to her. “You must wait, you must wait a minute,” he said feverishly. And the touch of his hot hands made her shiver. “If you want me to say good-bye to Sir Robert and Lady Sarah, I have just done so,” said she. But Caryl would say nothing about that. “Sit down,” he said, “and tell me what you’ve been doing, and where you’ve been. You’ve never left me so long alone before.” “Well, I’ve been in the grounds, Caryl.” “Yes, I saw you go. And I thought it very unkind of you not to take me. But I know why you didn’t,” and he pressed her hand with his little thin fingers. “You wanted to cry, that’s why you wanted to be by yourself. And that’s why you want to go home. You’re not happy, Rhoda. You look so different from what you did at first, before mama came back.” “It’s nothing to do with mama, Caryl,” said Rhoda quickly. “Oh no. But you have been crying, though?” “Perhaps I have. Perhaps I don’t like leaving you, Caryl.” He sighed, and played with her fingers quietly, and said very little more till his father came into the room. Sir Robert looked flushed and uneasy; he caught sight of Rhoda at once; and the presence of the lady seemed to make him graver than ever. “Come here, papa.” The baronet came and bent over his little couch. “Give me your hand,” said the boy. The baronet obeyed, still without looking at Rhoda, who was trying to withdraw her fingers from the tight clutch of the child. “Papa,” said Caryl, “I sent for you because I want you to tell Rhoda not to go away and leave me.” Sir Robert gazed down at his little son. “When a lady makes up her mind to do a thing, Caryl, it’s not kind or courteous to try to dissuade her,” said he. But Caryl persisted. “I don’t believe she really wants to go, papa. I think she’ll stay if you ask her to,” said he. “No, no, Caryl, I must go,” said Rhoda hoarsely.