ay. We
made her tell about it, poor thing--and on the whole I must say he took
it well. He didn't attempt any excuses. And Pat has been _very_ nice,
much brighter than usual. I can't help hoping that the thought of Miss
Mouse'--she smiled as she said the name-'is going to put them all on
their mettle.'

'I shall be very glad indeed if it is so,' said Mrs. Caryll, and when
her sister went home again, she carried with her, to her houseful of
boys, the news that the little stranger was to join the schoolroom party
the next day but one, for to-day was Saturday.

They were all more or less pleased. Justin the least so perhaps, unless
it were that he thought it rather beneath him to seem to care one way or
another about a thing of the kind, and he repeated that it would make no
difference to _him_, as Miss Mouse's companions were to be the two
little boys.

'Oh, but she's going to be with us on half-holidays, very often,' said
Archie.

'What a nuisance!' said Justin, but in his heart he was not ill-pleased.
There was a good deal of love of show-off about him, and a little girl,
especially a quiet, gentle child like Rosamond, seemed to him very well
suited to fill the place of admirer to his important self.

'We must take her to see old Nance, the first chance we get,' said Pat.
'We almost promised we would, you remember?'

'Do you think Aunt Mattie wouldn't mind,' said Archie doubtfully.

'_Mind_,' repeated Pat, 'of course not. We've never been told we're not
to speak to the Crags. All papa said was that he didn't want us to have
Bob too much about the place. And I daresay that was partly because the
servants are nasty to him, and might get him into trouble somehow or
other.

'Oh well yes,' said Archie, who was always inclined to see things in the
pleasantest light, 'I daresay it was for that, and Miss Mouse does want
very much to go to see their queer cottage.'

And on Monday morning little Rosamond made her appearance for the second
time at Moor Edge. She had come over in her aunt's pony-cart, which was
to fetch her again in the afternoon, Mrs. Caryll intending very often to
drive over for this purpose herself.

Things promised very well in the schoolroom. Miss Ward was a good
teacher, and Rosamond was a pleasant child to teach. Three days in the
week she was alone with the little ones, the three other days Archie
and she did several of their lessons together, for it was only on
alternate mornings that he went