be called to order so soon. I looked across the
room, and caught a glimpse of our two figures reflected in a glass--such
a big, fair, tousled creature as I looked beside her, and my heart went
down lower then ever. I shall disappoint her, I know I shall! She
expects me to be an elegant, accomplished young lady like Vere, and I
feel a hoyden still, and not a bit a grown-up woman; besides, father
said I was to keep young. How am I to please them both, and have time
left over to remember Miss Martin's lessons? It strikes me, Una
Sackville, you have got your work cut out.

Mother brought me up to see my room. She has looked after it all
herself, and taken no end of trouble making the shades. It looked sweet
in the sunshine, and I shall love sitting in the little round window
writing my adventures in this book; but now that it's dark I miss the
girls: I wonder what Lorna and Florence are doing now? Talking of me, I
expect, and crying into their pillows. It seems years since we parted,
and already I feel such miles apart. It seems almost impossible to
believe that last night I was eating thick bread-and-butter for supper
and lying down in the middle bed in the bare old dormitory. Now already
I feel quite grown up and responsible. Oh, if I live to be a hundred
years old, I shall never, never be at school again! I've been so happy.
I wonder, I wonder shall I ever be as happy again?

CHAPTER THREE.

_June 20th_.
I've been home a month. I've got tails to my dresses and silk linings,
and my hair done up like the people in advertisements, and parasols with
frills, and a pearl necklace to wear at nights with real evening
dresses. I wear white veils, too, and such sweet hats--I don't mind
saying it here where no one will see, but I really do look most awfully
nice. I should just simply love to be lolling back in the victoria, all
frills and feathers, and the crocodiles to march by. Wouldn't they
stare! It was always so interesting to see how the girls looked grown
up.

The weather has been lovely, and I do think ours is the very dearest old
house in the world. It is described in the guide-books as "a fine old
Jacobean mansion," and all sorts of foreign royal creatures have stayed
here as a place of refuge in olden days before father's people bought
it. It is red brick covered with ivy, and at the right side the walls
go out in a great semicircle,