Dick’s limbs were all stiff and sore when he awakened, but he was wolfishly hungry, and that fact satisfied his mother that he had suffered no particular physical injury.  He was still much paler than usual and suspiciously reserved, but he ate a good breakfast, and would have given his mother even more gratifying evidence of the perfect state of his health Had not Miss Chris interrupted his meal by a sudden and disconcerting entrance.  The young woman came into the room breathless, eager-eyed, and white to the lips.  She drew herself up by the door, and made a poor pathetic effort to compose herself, to frame her plea in conventional words; but she was too agitated to remember customary greetings.

‘Tell me!  Tell me!’ she said faintly.

Dick sat stock still, wondering what new thing had happened, asking himself how much Chris knew of his secret; but sympathetic little Mrs. Haddon started up in astonishment.

‘Tell you what, my dear?’ Then light came to her.  ‘About the accident?’

‘Yes, oh, yes!  Is it true?  They say he is dying!’

’It isn’t true.  He is not very badly hurt.  His mother went to the hospital with him, an’ has come back.  It’s concussion, the doctors say, an’ nothin’ serious.’

Miss Chris was plucking nervously at the bosom of her dress with her left hand, steadying herself against the table with her right; now that she knew there was no occasion for her great alarm, woman-like she trembled on the verge of tears.  Mrs. Haddon had resumed her seat, and for a moment the eyes of the two women met; then, much to the boy’s astonishment, Miss Chris covered her face with her hands and darted forward and knelt by his mother’s side, and there was a repetition of the incident in which he had figured a few hours earlier.  Mrs. Haddon clasped Christina to her tender breast, and spoke little soothing speeches over the fair head, whilst Chris wept a little, and laughed a little, and clung tightly to her friend.

‘Yes, yes, I know, my dear,’ whispered Mrs. Haddon.  ’I know, I know.  But don’t you fret.  It’ll all come out right.’

The women seemed thoroughly to understand each other, but to Dick this was quite inexplicable.  He perceived, however, that Miss Chris was troubled in some way, and all his romantic chivalrous feelings were stirred, and his determination to spare her at all costs was strengthened again.  Looking at the pair, and remembering the consolation he had derived from his mother’s strong embrace, the boy wondered what peculiar virtue lay in that kindly bosom that seemed to make it the natural refuge of the afflicted; and, wondering, he stole out and left the two together.