“Yes, sir,” replied Hester.
“And can you tell me—but of course you know—you are one of the young ladies who live here, eh?”
Hester nodded.
“Then you can tell me if Mrs Willis is at home—but of course she is.”
“No, sir,” answered Hester; “I am sorry to tell you that Mrs Willis is away. She has been called away on very, very sad business; she won’t come back to-night.”
Something in Hester’s tone caused the stranger to look at her attentively; he jumped off the dog-cart and came to her side.
“See, here, Miss—”
“Thornton,” put in Hester.
“Yes, Miss—Miss Thornton, perhaps you can manage for me as well as Mrs Willis; after all I don’t particularly want to see her. If you belong to Lavender House, you, of course, know my—I mean you have a school-mate here, a little, pretty gipsy rogue called Forest—little Annie Forest. I want to see her—can you take me to her!”
“You are her father?” gasped Hester.