“Listen, little lady. This is but a poor place I bring tha to, poor indeed and cold, but it is safe and if tha can be brave and bear with it, tha will be helping me to find Master Lisle.” Humphrey spoke very earnestly, and Rosanne, although she could not see his face in the darkness of the chill hall, knew that he was waiting anxiously for her answer.
“I shall try to be brave so that you can find Lisle, Humphrey Trail,” she answered, and, putting her hand in his broad hard one, mounted the rickety staircase with him.
Humphrey opened the door on the first landing and called “Vivi.” A voice answered eagerly:
“Yes, yes!”
Humphrey came into the room with Rosanne’s hand in his. He closed the door and walked with Rosanne over to the window where Vivi was standing with Minuit in her arms. The two girls stared at each other. Vivi looked the longest, but it was not because she was any more surprised than Rosanne; it was only because Rosanne had been taught that it was not right to show one’s surprise too much, or to stare too openly at any one.
“Who is that?” Vivi asked, pointing at Rosanne over the dark curve of Minuit’s lean body.
Before he could answer Rosanne looked up at Humphrey and exclaimed:
“She’s a little like Marie Josephine! It’s odd, but she is!”
When Rosanne said this Humphrey felt a sudden great relief. Little Vivi would help him. He had not thought of that before. The two girls would help each other, each in her own way, lonely Vivi and lonely Rosanne, and in his big heart Humphrey vowed that he would take care of both of them.
“This is a new friend for you and Minuit, Vivi,” he answered. “She is cold and tired and she is lonely, too. Sit close by her here on the cot while I make up the fire. You should not have let it go out for I left you plenty of wood!”