f instead to the good
things that had been provided, and ate away steadily until she had
sampled the contents of every plate upon the table, and could
superintend the choice of her companions with the wisdom of experience.

Miss Phipps had drawn out a programme of games for the evening's
amusement, and later on the older pupils took it in turns to play
waltzes and polkas, while the others danced. The teachers joined in
with the rest, and it was a proud girl who had Miss Phipps for a
partner, while Mademoiselle was so light and agile that it was like
dancing with a feather, and Fraulein felt like a heavy log lying against
one's arm. Then everyone sat down and puffed and panted, while Jeanie,
the Scotch girl, danced a Highland Fling, and when Pixie called out an
appropriate "Hoch! Hoch!" the teachers laughed as heartily as the
girls; for be it well understood there are things which are allowed on
term-holiday which the rashest spirit dare not attempt on working days!
Then two pretty sisters went through the stately figures of a minuet,
and Margaret sang a song in her sweet voice, pronouncing the words so
distinctly that you really knew what she was singing about, which
nowadays is a very rare and wonderful accomplishment. Altogether it was
a most festive evening, and Flora was in the act of remarking
complacently, "We really are a most accomplished school!" when suddenly
the scene changed, and an expression of horrified anxiety appeared on
every face, for Mademoiselle came rushing into the room, which she had
left but a few minutes before, and the tears stood in her eyes, and her
face was scarlet with mingled grief and anger. She held in one hand the
gold stopper of her precious scent-bottle, and in the other a number of
pieces of broken glass, at sight of which a groan of dismay sounded on
every hand.

"_Voila! Regardez_ See what I 'ave found! I go to my room, and the air
is full of scent, and I turn up the gas, and there it is--on the
dressing-table before my eyes--in pieces! My bottle--that I have kept
all these years--that was given to me by my friend--my dear, good
friend!"

Her voice broke off in a sob, and Miss Phipps came forward to examine
the pieces with an expression of real distress.

"But, Mademoiselle, how has it happened? You found it on the table, you
say,--not on the floor. If it had been on the floor, you might perhaps
have swept it off in leaving the room, and not heard the sound against