In such matters she was an absolute law unto herself; but whereas during the first two days of the girl's stay at Wyndfell Hall her host had been rather glad to miss her at breakfast--it had been a cosy little meal shared by him and Blanche--he now resented her absence.

He told himself angrily that she ought to have been there to help to entertain everybody, and to cheer up sulky James Tapster.

The latter had asked: "Where's Miss Bubbles ?" with an injured air--as if he thought she ought to be forming part of the excellent breakfast.
Mr.Burnaby was determined to get away from Wyndfell Hall as soon as possible, and by eleven o'clock the whole party, excepting Bubbles, was in the hall, bidding him good-bye.

And then it was that Varick suddenly realized with satisfaction that both Miss Burnaby and Helen regarded the departure of their kinsman with perfect equanimity.

Was it possible that Helen was _glad_ her uncle and guardian was leaving her alone--for once?
The thought was a very pleasant one to her present entertainer and host.
Even so, after he and Blanche Farrow turned away from the porch where they had been speeding the parting guest, she noticed that Varick looked more annoyed, more thoroughly put out, than she had ever seen him--and she had seen him through some rather bad moments in the long course of their friendship! "I hope Bubbles won't try on any more of her thought-reading tomfoolery," he said disagreeably.