to know. What was she doing by the old stump?
What did she take out and look at so earnestly? It was not a piece of
wood. That idea is sheer nonsense."

Fanny thought and thought, and the more she thought the more
uncomfortable did she grow. "It is perfectly horrible!" she kept saying
to herself. "I loathe myself for even thinking about it, but I am afraid
I must put a spoke in her wheel. The whole school may be contaminated at
this rate. If Betty could do what she did she may do worse, and there
isn't a girl in the place who isn't prepared to worship her. Oh, of
course I'm not jealous; why should I be? I should be a very unworthy
member of the Specialities if I were. Nevertheless----"

Just then Sylvia and Hetty Vivian walked through the great
recreation-hall arm in arm.

Fanny called them to her. "Where's Betty?" she asked.

"She told us she'd be very busy for half an hour in our room, and that
then she was going downstairs to have a sort of conference--with you, I
suppose, Fanny, and the rest of the Specialities."

Sylvia gave a very impatient shrug of her shoulders.

"Why do you look like that, Sylvia?" asked Fanny.

"Well, the fact is, Hetty and I do hate our own Betty belonging to your
club. Whenever we want her now she is engaged; and she has such funny
talk all about committee meetings and private conferences in your odious
sitting-room. We don't like it a bit. We much, much preferred our Betty
before she joined the Specialities."

"All the same," said Fanny, "you must have felt very proud of your Betty
last night."

Hester laughed. "She wasn't half her true self," said the girl. "Oh, of
course she was wonderful, and much greater than others; but I wish you
could have heard her tell stories in Scotland. We used to have just one
blink of light from the fire, and we sat and held each other's hands,
and I tell you Betty made us thrill."

"Well, now that you have reminded me," said Fanny, rising as she spoke,
"I must go and attend that committee meeting. I really forgot it, so I
am greatly obliged to you girls for reminding me. And you mustn't be
jealous of your sister; that is a very wrong feeling."

The girls laughed and ran off, while Fanny slowly walked down the
recreation-hall and then ascended some stairs, until she found herself
in that particularly cosy and bright sitting-room which was set apart
for the Specialities.

Martha West was there, also Susie Rushworth, the two Bertrams, and
Olive Re