'Papa,' said Helen hastily and a trifle impatiently, 'can't you ever learn, even after you have been bitten? If you do stumble on anything, I should think you would remember and not talk about it.'
'But, my dear,' he expostulated, 'we are among friends.'
'Are we?' Helen demanded coolly. 'We were among the same friends before.'
Longstreet looked frankly displeased, vaguely distressed. Sanchia was listening eagerly, her eyes stony in their covetousness. Howard, staring only at Helen, had hardly heard.
'Well, well,' said Longstreet. 'I haven't found anything, so that's all there is to to-day's tale, anyway.' He got his first view of the cabin's interior. 'What in the world has happened in there?' he demanded, in amazement.
'Nothing,' answered Helen. 'I'm just packing; that's all.'
'Packing, my dear? Packing what? And, pray, with what intention?'
'Packing everything, of course. And with the intention of travelling.'
Longstreet looked perplexed. He turned to both Howard and Sanchia as though he suspected that they must share the secret.
'If you'll come in, pops,' Helen informed him, 'we'll arrange for everything. I wanted to get the worst of it done before you came, as you're so frightfully upsetting when there's anything like this to be done. Mr. Howard and Mrs. Murray,' she added, explaining sweetly, 'just ran in for a minute's call. They are both in a hurry, and we had better not detain them.'