Beck watching her out of a front window she felt certain that Mrs. Beck
was cross too. "Let them get pleased again!" grumbled Miss Betty
Leicester, and Mary Beck herself had not borne a more forbidding
expression. She lingered a moment at Nelly Foster's gate, hoping to find
Nelly free, but the noise of the sewing-machine was plainly to be heard,
and Nelly said wistfully that she could not go out until after tea; then
she would come down to the house for a little while if Betty would like
it, and Betty gladly said yes. Her heart was shaken as she walked on
alone and came to the oak-tree on the high ridge where Becky had taken
her to see the view and told her that she always called it their tree,
in that first afternoon's walk. What could make poor old Becky so
untrustful and unkind? Perhaps after all everything would be right when
they met again; it might be one of Becky's freaks, only a little worse
than usual. Alas, Mary with Julia Picknell, who happened to be in the
village that afternoon, came out of one of the stores as the returning
Betty was passing, and Becky looked another way and pushed by, though
Betty had spoken pleasantly and tried to stop her.

"I don't care one bit; you're rude and hateful, Mary Beck!" said Betty
hotly, at which Julia, mild little friend that she was, looked
frightened and amazed. She had thought many times how lovely it must be
to live in town and have friendships of a close and intimate kind with
the girls. She pitied Betty Leicester, who looked as if she could hardly
keep from crying; but the grievous Becky was more grumpy than before.

* * * * *

Serena was walking in the side yard in her nice plain afternoon dress,
and somehow Betty felt more like seeking comfort from her than from Aunt
Barbara, and was glad to go in at the little gate and join her kind old
friend.

"What's fell upon _you_?" asked Serena, with sincere compassion.

"Mary Beck's just as disagreeable as she can be to-day," responded
Betty, regardless of her sin book. "Serena! I just hate her, and I hate
that horrid best hat of hers with the feather in it."

"Oh, no you don't, sweetin's;" Serena protested peacefully. "You'll be
keepin' company same's ever to-morrow. Now I think of 't, you've been
off a good deal with the Grants and that French girl" (not a favorite of
Serena's); "I wonder if that's all?"

"Yes--no"--wavered Betty. "Don't you tell anybody, but I do belong to a
little c