eems to like me, and she has never told me a
real story. But it's the things she says, they make me feel
uncomfortable. And yet I do so want to live in a house again, and we can
only do it if we chum with them!'

'Well, you needn't see much of her even if you live in the same house;
you'll be out all day, and so will she, and you will have your lessons
and practising in the evenings. After all, they're only new friends;
they can't expect you to live as if you were one family, and--and you
know I'm straight--if you do come to Blackstead we might do our lessons
together?' suggested Doreen, by way of comforting Vava.

But, as it happened, it had not quite the desired effect; for, much
though Vava liked Doreen, she remembered her sister's resolution that if
they could not have friends of their own class they would have none; and
as she declined to know the Montague Joneses she would certainly not
have anything to do with the Hackneys. However, that was not a thing she
could say to Doreen; and, as she did not want to throw cold water on her
kindness, she said, 'Thank you, you are kind, and of course you are
straight, and I am very glad you are my chum, especially in school; out
of school Stella is my chum.'

'Yes, of course, and a jolly good one too,' said Doreen heartily; and if
she guessed that Vava meant that they would _not_ see much of each other
out of school, she did not show it, but observed, 'And you know, even if
that Eva is not always quite square in her way of looking at things, you
can do her good.'

'Miss Briggs said the other day that "evil communications corrupt good
manners," and that if a girl's conversation made us feel uncomfortable,
or feel that we should not like our parents to hear it, we were to shun
her as we should the plague,' observed Vava.

'I know she did, but I don't agree with her,' remarked Doreen calmly.

Vava looked at Doreen in astonishment. She often questioned her sister's
authority, but not Miss Briggs's, who was a very clever young mistress.
'Do you mean that if a girl isn't nice you don't care?' she asked.

'No, I mean that you ought to make her shut up. Sometimes a girl talks
rot because she is silly; but you can soon stop her, and if one were to
avoid every one who did or said anything wrong, why one might as well
live in a desert island. Look at Belle Reed! You couldn't believe a word
that girl said when she first came to our school; but she soon dropped
it when she found we