"I--I hardly know; my--my movements are uncertain."
Miss Vernon echoed her last word.
"Uncertain!--but, my dear child, what I'm dying to know is what favouring wind of providence it was which blew you here. When did you come?"
"Last night."
"Last night!--at what ever time?"
"It was very late."
"It must have been. You see that houseboat by the paddock there?--that's ours; sometimes some of us sleep in it, and sometimes none of us do--last night we three did--but we never started till quite late, and you weren't here then. Why ever didn't you let me know that you were coming? I'd never have gone to that silly old houseboat if I had."
"I didn't know that I was coming till--till I'd almost come."
"My dear child!--what do you mean? You must have made up your mind in a hurry, or--did your guardian make it up for you? Did Mr Emmett bring you?"
"No; I came with Mr Frazer."