ts, that (his other prescriptions having failed to cure her
lassitude, and his pompous manner and professional visits rather
provoking her feverish perversity) the old doctor also recommended that
she should be sent to school.

Medical advice is very authoritative, and yet Uncle Buller hesitated.

"It's like packing a troublesome son off to the Colonies, my dear," said
he. "And though Dr. Brown may be justified in transferring his
responsibilities elsewhere, I don't think that parents should get rid of
theirs in this easy fashion."

But when Eleanor came, the Major's views underwent a change. If I went
with Matilda, and we had Eleanor Arkwright for a friend, he allowed that
he would consent.

"That is if the girl is willing to go. I will send no child of mine out
of my house against her will."

Major Buller asked her himself. Asked with so much kindness, and
expressed such cheery hopes that change of air, regular occupation, and
the society of other young people would make her feel "stronger and
happier" than she had seemed to be of late, that to say that Matilda
would have gone anywhere and done anything her father wished is to give
a feeble idea of the gush of gratitude which his sensible and
sympathetic words awoke in her. Unfortunately she could not keep herself
from crying just when she most wanted to speak, and Uncle Buller, having
a horror of "scenes," cut short the one interview in which Matilda felt
disposed to confide in her parents.

But she confided to me, when she came to bed that night (_I_ didn't mind
her crying between the sentences), that she was very, very sorry to have
been "so cross and stupid," and that if we were not going to school she
meant to try and be very different. I begged her to let me ask Uncle
Buller to keep us at home a little longer, but Matilda would not hear of
it.

"No, no," she sobbed, "not now. I should like to do something he and
Mamma want, and they want us to go to school."

For my own part I was quite willing to go, especially after I had seen
Eleanor Arkwright. So we were sent--to Bush House.

CHAPTER XIII.

AT SCHOOL--THE LILAC-BUSH--BRIDGET'S POSIES--SUMMER--HEALTH.

We knew when it was summer at Bush House, because there was a lilac-tree
by the gate, which had one large bunch of flowers on it in the summer
when Eleanor and I and Matilda were at school there. As we left the
house in double file to take our daily exercise on the high-road, the
girls wou