oldest and shabbiest hat,
which she knew well did not become her in the least, and went to The
Paddock. She was quite longing to do her usual lessons with Aunt
Cecil. In order to reach The Paddock she had, however, to pass
Ardshiel, and the shrieks of laughter and merriment that reached her as
she hurried by were anything but agreeable to her ears.

'Jasmine _might_ have more feeling,' thought the angry girl. 'Gentian
might think of her poor lonely sister. Delphinium ought by rights to
be sobbing instead of laughing. We were always such friends; but
there, if this goes on, Scotland won't see much more of me. I used to
be all for the bonnie Highlands, but I 'm not that any more. I 'll go
to cold London and take a place as kitchen-maid. I won't be treated as
though I were a nobody, I 'll earn my own bread, I will, and then
perhaps Dump will be sorry. To do so much for a man, and for that man
to absorb himself in arithmetic, is more than a girl can stand.'

Hollyhock reached The Paddock between eleven and twelve o'clock. She
marched in boldly to see Mrs Constable employed over some needlework,
which she was doing in a very perfect manner.

'I thought you were coming to teach me this morning, Aunt Cecilia,'
said the girl in a tone of reproach.

Mrs Constable raised her soft gray eyes. 'My dear child,' she said,
'didn't you know that your father and I are not going to teach you any
more? All the teaching in this place will be at Ardshiel.'

'Then how am I to learn?' said Hollyhock, in a tone of frightened
amazement.

'Naturally,' replied Mrs Constable, 'by going to Ardshiel.'

'Never!' replied the angry girl. 'I 'm not wanted. I can make my own
plans. Good-bye. I _hate_ every one.'

Hollyhock made a dash toward the door, but Mrs Constable called her
back.

'Won't you help me with this needlework, dear? I should enjoy your
company. I miss my Precious Stones so much.'

'Fudge!' replied Hollyhock. 'I 'm not going to comfort you for your
Precious Stones. Great boobies, I call them, going to a mixed school.'

She dashed away from The Paddock. Again, on her way home, Hollyhock
was entertained by the sounds of mirth at Ardshiel. On this occasion a
number of girls were playing tennis, and her own sisters, Jasmine and
Gentian, blew rapturous kisses to her. This seemed to the unhappy
child to be the last straw.

'Who is that girl?' asked Ivor Chetwode.

'She _is_ my sister,' replied Jasmine.