citement and
disgust. "And we never saw them! How simply disgusting, when we have
been sitting staring out of this window for the last three weeks! Late
at night! What sneaks! Why couldn't they come in the daylight, in a
decent, honest fashion? They might be ashamed of themselves! How many
are there, and what are they like?"

But Maud knew nothing beyond the mere fact of the arrival, and the
schoolroom party were obliged to control their curiosity as best they
might until lessons were over, and they were free to station themselves
once more in their place of observation. If the Vanburgh family had
ventured out of the house about noon, they would have been slightly
disconcerted to see the row of heads in the window opposite, all craning
forward to watch their slightest movement, and bobbing behind the
curtains when they imagined themselves observed. But, alas! they did
not come out. The nailed door remained closely shut, and the
disappointed watchers tried to console themselves by inventing
satisfactory reasons for their non-appearance.

"They are busy, you see. There is so much to unpack. Gabrielle is
hanging her ball-dresses in the wardrobe and covering them over with
muslin curtains."

"She wouldn't unpack for herself, silly! They have a French maid who
does all that sort of thing for them!"

"I know they have; but Gabrielle is so particular! She can't bear any
one to touch her dresses but herself; besides, Therese has enough to do
attending to the other young ladies. Evangeline has a bad sick
headache. She is lying down in that room where the curtains are drawn.
Travelling always does make her ill!"

"Ermyntrude is arranging her treasures. Her bedroom looks out on the
garden, and she is nailing up pictures, and draping the mantelpiece.
She has piles and piles of photographs to arrange. They will keep her
busy all day. It's ridiculous to suppose that they would go out the
very first morning after their arrival. You know how it is with us when
we come home after a few weeks' holiday! There are a thousand things to
be done."

The girls unanimously agreed in this decision. Nevertheless, the hope
that one of the four Miss Vanburghs might appear at the windows kept
them glued to their own posts until it was time to start for the daily
walk.

The conversation turned exclusively on the subject of the new
neighbours, as the little procession of girls and governess filed
dejectedly down the stre