er very good influences,
and when she wanted to believe a thing was true she generally managed to
do so, and though she would have scorned to tell a lie she made things
appear to be what she wished them to be. At any rate, she managed to
deceive both Vava and Amy, and make each of them believe that consent
had been given on both sides; and, as unfortunately often happened, she
succeeded in getting her own way.

However, for the moment there was no talk about future plans; it would
not have been possible in the public dining-room, and almost immediately
after early dinner the four went off to the Tate Gallery, and the talk
turned upon pictures, and Eva noticed with satisfaction that the elders
were getting on famously.

'Do you know what I have been thinking?' inquired Eva of Vava.

They were standing before a picture by Burne-Jones as she said this.
Vava replied promptly, 'I don't know, unless it is that the ladies in
this picture have all got the same mouths.'

'Oh the picture! I wasn't thinking about it at all; I don't care very
much for art. Amy does, and she is always dragging me here with her, so
that I know them all by heart, and am quite sick of them. No, what I was
thinking was that those two are getting on A1, and that it's all
providential!' announced Eva.

Vava looked puzzled for a minute, and then laughed as she said, 'You
mean that it is providential that they like one another? Then, I
suppose, it's providential that we get on together, or that any one ever
likes any one else?'

'I mean that, as we want to live together, it's a good thing we suit
each other,' replied Eva.

'Oh but that may not be for a long time; still, we can be friends, can't
we?' asked Vava.

'Yes, but why need it be a long time? Your sister is quite ready; so is
Amy'----she began.

But Vava interrupted her in surprise. 'Stella quite ready! To take a
house with you, do you mean? Oh is she really?'

'Why, of course she is! Didn't you tell me so?' cried Eva.

'I?' replied Vava, in such tones of astonishment that Eva coloured up.

'You certainly said that if Amy would agree your sister would, and that
she thought it a good idea. And as Amy does agree--why, your sister will
too,' she affirmed.

Eva had quite persuaded herself that the two elder girls were ready, and
that it only needed some keeping up to the mark on her part to bring the
new plan about.

Vava was quite silent for a time; she was very impulsive and outspoken