"No! oh, no! She wants to come home. She says she won't be late; she promises not to be late."
"And that young fellow will drive her home, of course?"
"Well, she couldn't drive home alone, Alan, at that time of night. It wouldn't be proper."
Mr. Helbeck smiled rather sourly. "One may doubt where the propriety comes in. Well, she seems determined. We must just arrange it. There is the tower door. Kindly tell her, Augustina, that I will let her have the key of it. And kindly tell her also—as from yourself, of course—that she will be treating us all with courtesy if she does come home at a reasonable hour. We have been a very quiet, prim household all these years, and Mrs. Denton, for all her virtues, has a tongue."
"So she has," said Augustina, sighing. "And she doesn't like Laura—not at all."
Helbeck raised his head quickly. "She does nothing to make Miss Fountain uncomfortable, I trust?"
"Oh—no," said Augustina undecidedly. "Besides, it doesn't matter. Laura has got Ellen under her thumb."
Helbeck's grave countenance showed a gleam of amusement.
"How does Mrs. Denton take that?"
"Oh! she has to bear it. Haven't you seen, Alan, how the girl has brightened up? Laura has shown her how to do her hair; she helped her to make a new frock for Easter; the girl would do anything in the world for her. It's like Bruno. Do you notice, Alan—I really thought you would be angry—that the dog will hardly go with you when Laura's there?"