“You’ll be sorry to go back, miss.”

“Sorry!” cried Pamela.  “I can’t bear to think of it.  I never was so happy in my life, and never enjoyed my holidays before.”

It was a very simple holiday too, but each day was full of happiness.  One by one the four introduced Pamela to their best-beloved haunts.  They made excursions to Wenmere Woods, to Helbarrow Tors, to the moors and the river.  Very frequently, too, some of them went for drives with Dr. Trenire far out into the country, over wild moorland, or through beautiful valleys, and Pamela loved these drives as much as anything, and felt she could listen for hours while the doctor told her the story of some old cairn, or the legend of a holy well or wayside cross.

Once they all went to Newquay to visit Aunt Pike and Anna, and spent a long, glorious day on the beautiful sands, paddling in and out of the rock pools in search of rare sea-weeds, and anemones, and shells.

“I didn’t know your aunt was so old,” said Pamela later, when she and Kitty were talking over the events of the day.  “You did not tell me she was.”

“No,” said Kitty thoughtfully, “I didn’t think she was.  I noticed it to-day myself, but I never did before.  She does look quite old, doesn’t she?” appealing to Pamela, as though still doubting her own eyes.  “I don’t think she looked so last term.  She seemed quite altered to-day somehow, so small and shrivelled, or something.”

But other interests soon drove the matter from Kitty’s mind, and she thought no more about it until Mrs. Pike and Anna returned to Gorlay a few days before the end of the holidays to see to Dan’s and Kitty’s outfits, and by that time Kitty was far too miserable at the prospect of returning to school to give more than a passing thought to her aunt’s changed appearance.

Anna was quite strong again, though her old nervous, restless manner had not left her, and she still had the same difficulty in meeting one’s eyes fairly and squarely.

“Your cousin looks as though she had something on her mind,” said Pamela.  “Do you think she has?”

“I don’t know,” said Kitty; “at least I don’t think it would trouble her much if she had.  She didn’t really enjoy herself at Newquay.  She says she is very glad to be home again, and I should think she would be too,” added poor homesick Kitty.  “I am sure I should get well here quicker than anywhere,” and Pamela agreed.

“I think it was nonsense of Dan to say it was worth while to go away to have the pleasure of coming home,” she moaned when the last day came.  “I am sure nothing could make up to me for the misery of going, and I think it is worse the second time than the first.”

Poor Kitty’s woe was so great that at last her father was driven to expostulate.  “Kitty dear, do try to be brave,” he pleaded.  “I am not very well, and I cannot bear to see you so unhappy.  You make it very hard for others, dear, by taking your trials so hardly.”