‘I’m sure of having you hungry, now, Hazel,’ she exclaimed.  ’I didn’t know what was best to give you; but Duke said coffee would be sure to be right.’

’I wonder if you ever suggest anything which he does not think is “sure to be right"?’ said Wych Hazel.  ’I wonder if anybody down here ever makes a mistake of any sort?’

‘Mistakes? oh! plenty,’ said Primrose.  ’I do; and I suppose Duke does.  I don’t know about papa.  Now, dear Hazel, sit down.  Duke will be here directly.’

And Primrose cut bread and poured out coffee and supplied her guest, in a sort of passion of hospitality.

To say that the guest was as hungry as she should have been after such a fast, would be perhaps too much; last night was still too fresh for that; but seventeen has great restorative powers at command, and Prim’s coffee was undeniably good.  Hazel grew more like herself as the meal went on, though her eyes kept their tired look, and her manner was a trifle abstracted.  But Prim asked no questions; only hovered about her with all sorts of affectionate words and ways, till Rollo came in.  He sat down and began to make himself generally useful, in his wonted manner.

‘Duke,’ said Primrose, ’Miss Kennedy has been asking me if we ever make mistakes in this house!’

‘What did you tell her?’

’Why you know what I told her.  I am not sure about papa; but the rest of us don’t boast of infallible wisdom.’

‘Do you mean that he does?’ said Duke, drily.  At which Primrose laughed.  ‘Have you been asleep, Miss Hazel?’

‘Beyond reach of all earthly things.  Have you?’

Rollo remarked that he never got so far as that.

‘No,’ said Primrose, ’I never saw such a sleeper.  He’ll be sound asleep, sound and fast; not dreaming nor stirring; and if there comes the least little sound that there oughtn’t to be, he’s up and broad awake and in possession of all his senses in a minute.’

‘How do you know?’ said the subject of this description.

‘I know,’ said Primrose.  ’Thunder wouldn’t waken him; and the turning of a key in a lock would—­suppose it was a time or place when the lock ought not to be turned.’

‘Very interesting details!’ said Rollo.  ’They may be useful in the study of psychology—­or physiology.  Which is your favourite study, Miss Hazel?’

’Whichever will throw the most light upon this; Prim, can he also detect “the least little sound that oughtn’t to be,’ when there is none at all?’ said Hazel thinking of last night.

‘No, he can’t,’ said Rollo, shaking his head.  ’That’s a physiological question.  But here is one in psychology:  Can a person be sensible of an unknown presence when yet there is none?’

‘Ah!’ she said, drawing a long breath and growing grave all at once, ‘I wish one might!  It would have been a comfort.’

‘Well,’ said he, ‘I think I can resolve that question.’