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too?”
    Sybil hesitated a moment.
    â€œNot yet, I think. I don’t fancy she feels quite equal to an interview this afternoon, poor thing!”
    â€œYou are going!”
    The girl laughed and, stooping, laid a bird-like kiss on Cynthia’s forehead.
    â€œWhat—not jealous, Cynthia? You see Cousin Hannah is used to me; I stayed with her six months ago, and I am a great favourite of hers.”
    â€œI do not wonder at that!” The words came from Cynthia involuntarily.
    There was another silvery ripple of laughter from Sybil as she vanished through the doorway.
    â€œWhat a duck you are to say so! And Cousin Hannah means to see you some time this evening, Cynthia.”

Chapter Five
    C YNTHIA opened the door of her room.
    Her trunk had been carried in and stood at the bottom of the bed; she felt for her keys and crossed over to it. The big wardrobe was empty save for the dress she had worn on her arrival. She took it out and looked at its unbrushed condition with disgust; it was bedraggled and dusty round the hem, and on the sleeve of the coat near the elbow there was a big dark mark. Cynthia looked at the latter with surprise as she got out her clothes-brush and applied it diligently.
    â€œWhere did that come from, I wonder?” she soliloquized. “Did I get it in the cart? Oh, no! It must have been when I fell in the passage. I know I came down heavily on my elbow.”
    Brushing had no effect on the mark, so Cynthia took her sponge and some soap, and presently had the satisfaction of seeing that it was yielding. Then spreading it out upon the back of a chair to dry, she turned to the washstand to rinse the sponge. As she squeezed out the water she was amazed to see that it was a dull red. For a moment she gazed at it in bewilderment, then she rolled back her sleeve and looked at her elbow in the glass. Its dainty dimpled prettiness was disfigured by a nasty black bruise, but the skin was unbroken. As she stood gazing into the glass, her colour faded, she shivered violently from head to foot; a fainting sensation against which she fought in vain came over her. She caught at the dressing-table with one hand and glanced round the room with eyes dilated by a sudden unreasoning fear.
    â€œIt was nothing,” she said to herself, with white, stiffening lips. “Perhaps the dog hurt its paw scratching at the door—or something. Certainly it was nothing.”
    â€œCynthia! Cynthia!” It was Sybil’s voice; she was knocking.
    Cynthia caught up the basin and emptied it into the toilet-pail before she answered.
    Sybil glanced quickly round the room before she entered.
    â€œCousin Henry has come back, Cynthia. He was nearly frantic about you. He was glad to hear you were all right; he says he can’t think how you came to mistake his directions. Is this all the luggage you have?” her bright inquisitive eyes turning to the open trunk. “You should see the heaps and heaps I’ve brought! Cousin Henry was so cross—I made him bring two trunks with us, much against his will, and the rest have to come on by the carrier, or some such antiquated person. Now” —putting her arm through Cynthia’s and drawing her towards the door—“Cousin Henry wants to speak to you for a minute or two, just to make sure that you really are quite safe and not too much exhausted, and then I am going to fetch you for a chat with Cousin Hannah.”
    â€œOh, will she really see me? I am so glad!” Cynthia’s tone was one of great relief.
    â€œYes, she is quite anxious!” Sybil said as with arms entwined they descended the stairs. “But, oh, Cynthia, she is sadly changed since I saw her last. She is so helpless but”—dropping her voice to a whisper as she saw the open door into the dining-room—“I must not speak in this strain before Cousin Henry. He feels it all so terribly, and it is all so important that he should keep up for