aster Roger Carden, spoke to
Hollyhock, congratulating her on her rare good luck in going to such a
school.

'I'm not going to this stupid old Palace,' said Hollyhock.

'Why, my dear, are you not going? Besides, I thought the name of the
place was Ardshiel.'

'Oh, they re-called it,' replied Hollyhock, tossing her mane of black
hair from her head. 'Anyhow, one name is as good as another, I 'm
going to stay with my Dumpy Dad.'

'Who is "Dumpy Dad"?' asked Lady Jane Carden.

'Don't you dare to call him by that name,' said the indignant
Hollyhock. 'He's my father; he's the Honourable George Lennox. I'm
not going to leave him for any Ardshiel that was ever made.'

'What a pity!' said Lady Jane. 'My boy Roger will be so disappointed.
He 's coming to the school, you know.'

'Is he? I don't think much of boys coming to girls' schools.'

'I'm afraid, my dear little girl,' said Lady Jane, 'that you yourself
want school more than most. You don't know how to behave to a lady.'

'I know how to behave to Dumpy Dad, and that's all I care about.'

Nothing further was said to Hollyhock, but she noticed that Lady Jane
Carden was speaking to another friend of hers, and glancing at
Hollyhock with scant approval as she did so. It seemed to Hollyhock
that she was saying, 'That's not at all a nice or polite little girl.'

Hollyhock was vexed, because she had a great pride, and did not wish
even insignificant people like Lady Jane Carden to speak against her.

The great inspection of the school came to an end, and the children
were to assemble there as soon as possible on the morrow. Mrs
Macintyre, however, declared that there would be no lessons until the
following day. This greatly delighted the four Flower Girls and the
five Precious Stones, and they all started off in the highest spirits
to their new school next morning. Oh, was it not fun, glorious fun, to
go to Ardshiel and yet be close to mummy and daddy all the time? Their
father had specially forbidden his Flower Girls to make any remarks to
Hollyhock about her not going with the others to school.

'Leave her alone, children, and she 'll come round,' was his remark.
'Do the reverse, and we'll have trouble with her.'

As soon as the children had departed to Ardshiel, Hollyhock and her
father found themselves alone. She looked wildly round her for a
minute; then she dashed into the pine-wood, flung herself on the ground
among the pine-needles, and gave vent