"He only said that he wanted a companion for his daughter, and asked for my references."
"That was just like papa," said Evelyn; "he always does everything in what he calls a business-like way, which I always say means never telling anybody anything."
"Will you tell me what made you ill?" I asked.
"Yes, it was that young horse," she said; "such a beauty! You must see him, Miss Lindsay; he is quite black, and has a white star on his forehead, and his name is Wildfire, because he flies along so fast. Papa said he was too young for me to ride; but I was not a bit afraid, and Cousin Donald asked me to go out with him for an hour. Cousin Donald is very fond of me," she said, laughing; "he would like me to marry him; but that would never do, you know. Papa says he is very poor, and he would not hear of such a thing. But Cousin Donald is very good-looking, and I like riding with him, he rides so well, and we had a splendid ride that day; but then Wildfire threw me, and all my fun was over."
"Were you much hurt?" I asked.
"Yes," she said; "the doctors said my spine was injured; only a little though," she added, quickly, "and if I keep very, very still, and never walk about for a year, they think I shall be quite well again. Oh dear! I wish the year was over now! But it will be much nicer now you have come."
"You must tell me, please, Miss Trafford, what my duties are," I said.
"Oh, don't talk about duties," she said, pretending to stop her ears; "I can't bear the word. I never could do anything because it was a duty. That's just the sort of word the companion in my picture used to say. She used to draw up her head and look through her spectacles, and say, solemnly, 'Miss Evelyn, remember your duties.'"
"But you will tell me what my work is to be here," I repeated; "Sir William did not mention it in his letter."
"You won't have any work," she said, "except to amuse me; you are to be my friend, if you like to call that work—to read to me, and talk to me, and have meals with me, and make the year go a little quicker."