l come,' said the little girl, but Bridget's face darkened.

'It's not fair,' she muttered, as Celestina, after carefully putting her
books away, left the room.

'Come now, my dear,' said Miss Neale, not very wisely, perhaps--she
scarcely knew Biddy as yet--'you shouldn't be jealous. It's a very
little thing for Celestina to have a message to do for your mamma. Some
other time there will be one for you to do, I have no doubt.'

Biddy wriggled impatiently.

'They've no business not to tell me,' she said, taking not the least
notice of Miss Neale's words. Then she banged down her books and ran out
of the room without saying good-morning to her governess.

Miss Neale did not see anything more of her till she and Celestina
returned that afternoon. It was a lovely day, and so as not to lose any
of the pleasant brightness of the afternoon, Mrs. Vane had made the
girls get ready early and go a little way down the sandy lane to meet
the two coming from Seacove. Bridget was gloomy, but Alie was
particularly cheerful, and after a while the younger sister's gloom gave
way before the sunshine and the fresh air and Alie's sweetness.

'There they are,' she exclaimed, as two figures came in sight; 'shall we
run, Biddy?' and almost without waiting for a reply off she set, Bridget
following more slowly.

When she got up to them Celestina and Alie were talking together
eagerly. They stopped short as Biddy ran up, but she heard Celestina's
last words, 'Mother says she'll be sure to get it by to-morrow or the
day after.'

'What are you talking about?' asked Bridget.

Celestina grew red but did not speak. Rosalys turned frankly to her
sister--

'It's a message of mamma's we can't tell you about,' she said, 'but
you'll know some time.'

Alas, the brightness of the afternoon was over, as far as Biddy was
concerned. She turned away scowling.

'Why should you know if I don't?' she said; 'and what business has
Celestina to know--she's as little as me nearly?'

[Illustration: A SECRET. P. 148.]

'Oh, Biddy,' said Alie reproachfully.

But that was all. She knew that argument or persuasion was lost on her
sister once she was started on her hobby-horse, ill-temper. She could
only hope that she would forget about it by degrees. And after a while
it almost seemed so. They went down to the shore, where it was so bright
and pleasant that it did not seem possible for the crossest person in
the world to resist the soft yet fresh breeze,