glances of fun and mischief, first at one
school-companion and then at another, which used to worry her teachers so
much.

There were no merry glances from Annie that morning; but she worked
steadily and rapidly, and went through that trying ordeal, her French
verbs, with such satisfaction that mademoiselle was on the point of
praising her, until she remembered that Annie was in disgrace.

After school, however, Annie did not join her companions in the grounds,
but went up to her bedroom, where, by Mrs. Willis' orders, she was to
remain until the girls went in. She was to take her own exercise later in
the day.

It was now the tenth of June--an intensely sultry day; a misty heat
brooded over everything, and not a breath of air stirred the leaves in
the trees. The girls wandered about languidly, too enervated by the heat
to care to join in any noisy games. They were now restored to their full
freedom, and there is no doubt they enjoyed the privileges of having
little confabs, and whispering secrets to each other without having Miss
Good and Miss Danesbury forever at their elbows. They talked of many
things--of the near approach of the holidays, of the prize day which was
now so close at hand, of Annie's disgrace, and so on.

They wondered, many of them, if Annie would ever be brought to confess
her sin, and, if not, how Mrs. Willis would act toward her. Dora Russell
said in her most contemptuous tones:

"She is nothing, after all, but a charity child, and Mrs. Willis has
supported her for years for nothing."

"Yes, and she's too clever by half; eh, poor old Muddy Stream?" remarked
a saucy little girl. "By the way, Dora, dear, how goes the river now? Has
it lost itself in the arms of mother ocean yet?"

Dora turned red and walked away, and her young tormentor exclaimed with
considerable gusto:

"There, I have silenced her for a bit; I do hate the way she talks about
charity children. Whatever her faults, Annie is the sweetest and
prettiest girl in the school, in my opinion."

In the meantime Hester was looking in all directions for Susan Drummond.
She thought the present a very fitting opportunity to open her attack on
her, and she was the more anxious to bring her to reason as a certain
look in Annie's face--a pallid and very weary look--had gone to her
heart, and touched her in spite of herself. Now, even though little Nan
loved her, Hester would save Annie could she do so not at her own
expense.

Look, how