"IT'S getting damp and cold," said Gerald at last; "we must be going home." And hand-in-hand the twins wended homeward.
A short stretch of road came between the wood and the shrubbery that surrounded their house, and they had left the road and just entered the shrubbery gate, when they saw, a little way in front of them, the tall figure of a young man walking at a good pace towards the house.
"Who can that be?" said Gerald in a whisper. "Visitors never come up this way."
Suddenly the young fellow, perhaps hearing voices or footsteps behind him, turned his head, saw the children following, and stayed waiting till they came up.
"What do you want? This is not the visitors' way," said Gerald, rather rudely, staring at the tall upright figure in the semi-darkness.
"I know," replied the young man; "I am not a visitor. I was going round to the servants' entrance. Perhaps you will kindly tell me," (and he turned to Dina, who had not yet spoken), "if the old nurse who used to live in Mr. Ellis's family is still there."
"Yes," replied the little girl, "she is. Did you want her?"
"I did—I do," replied the stranger, with a smile which set the child's heart beating fast; "I wanted to ask her a question."
"Maybe we can answer your question," suggested Gerald.
"Thank you; I only wished to ask whether Robert Ellis's room had been allowed to remain as he left it, or if it had been turned out and altered."