Then the lady, to keep herself from bursting into hysterical tears, kissed Harry again and again, exclaiming: "My poor, dear boy! My dear, dear child! And Mr.Belcher could have helped it all! Curse him!" The lad jumped from her arms as if he had received the thrust of a dagger, and looked at her with great, startled, wondering eyes.

She recognized in an instant the awful indiscretion into which she had been betrayed by her fierce and sudden anger, and threw herself upon her knees before the boy, exclaiming: "Harry, you must forgive me.

I was beside myself with anger.

I did not know what I was saying.

Indeed, I did not.