father, who
had a great dislike for practical jokes.

"Afraid? I am not afraid of anything, you little duffer. She can tell
all about it to the whole house if she likes," he said, and turning on
his heel went off whistling.

Hetty was right in the guess she had made regarding Miss Davis, who did
not say a word to anyone about the trick that had been played on her.
She was too thankful to know that she had suffered from a false alarm,
that her beloved brother was safe under the protection of the uncle who
had promised to befriend him, and that her dear mother was spared the
terrible anxiety that had seemed to have overtaken her; she was much too
glad thinking of all this to feel disposed to be angry with anyone.
Besides, this accident had brought to light a side of Hetty's character
which she had hardly got a glimpse of before. The child had evinced a
warmth of feeling towards herself which neither of her other two pupils
had ever shown her, and this in forgetfulness of the somewhat hard
demeanour with which she had been hitherto treated. The little girl was,
it appeared, capable of knowing that certain things she did not like
were yet for her good, and of respecting the persons who were to her
rather a stern providence. Her extreme sorrow for giving pain was also
to be noted, and the fact that she had realized the work that was before
her in life. All these things sank deeply into Miss Davis's mind, and
made her feel far more interested in Hetty than she had ever felt
before.

But Hetty did not know anything of all this. She saw Miss Davis precise
and cold-looking as ever, going through the day's routine as if the
events of that memorable evening had never happened; and she thought
that everything was just as it had been before, except that Mark had
quarrelled with her and would scarcely speak to her. She felt this a
heavy trial, and but for occasional visits to Mrs. Kane and Scamp would
have found it harder than she could bear.

CHAPTER XIV.

HETTY'S CONSTANCY.

"I hope Hetty is getting on better in the school-room now," said Mrs.
Enderby to Phyllis one day; "I have not heard any complaints for some
time."

"I think she is doing pretty well, mother; at least she behaves better
to Miss Davis. As for me, I have very little to do with her. I notice,
however, that she has quarrelled with Mark. He and she used to be great
friends, because she is such a romp and ready for any rough play. But
now he does not