like."

Harold laughed again, a sleepy laugh, which brought a flash into his
sister's eyes. That was the worst of Harold; he was so superior! He
never argued, nor contradicted, but he had a way of smiling to himself,
of throwing back his head and half shutting his eyes, which made Rhoda
feel as if throwing cushions at him would be the only adequate relief to
her feelings. She glared at him for a moment, and then turned her back
on him in a marked manner and addressed herself to her father.

"You will write to Miss Bruce at once, won't you, father, and arrange
for me to go at the beginning of the term?"

"I will write for particulars, or, better still, your mother and I will
go down to see the place for ourselves. I should like you to go to the
school you fancy, if it can be arranged, and I suppose this is as good
as any."

"Better!" Rhoda declared rapturously, "a thousand times better! Ella
Mason said so; and she knows, because her cousin's sisters have all been
at different schools--one at Cheltenham, one at Saint Andrew's, one at
Wycombe, and she declares that Hurst beats them all. It must be so,
since it has adopted all the good ideas and abandoned the bad." She
went on with a rambling statement which seemed to imply that Miss Bruce
had been in turn sole proprietor of each of these well-known schools
before abandoning them in favour of her new establishment; that Hurst
Manor buildings had been recently erected, at vast expense, to provide
every possible convenience for the pupils, and at the same time was a
nobleman's seat of venerable interest; that sports and games formed the
chief interest of the pupils, lessons being relegated to an appropriate
secondary position; while, astonishing to relate, the honours in all
University examinations fell to "Hurst girls," and every woman who had
made a name for herself had graduated from its ranks! She detailed
these interesting items of information with sublime assurance; and, when
Harold mildly pointed out inconsistencies, retorted scornfully that she
supposed she might be allowed to know, since Ella's cousin had _said_
so, and she had been there, and seen for herself! Mrs Chester
supported her by murmurs of assent, and little warning frowns to her
son, which in dumb language signified that he was to be a good boy, and
not aggravate his sister; and Mr Chester put his arm round her waist,
and looked down at her, half smiling, half pitiful. The pitiful
expressi