d a good old-fashioned nurse that I
know of to take your place, and it will be good for the children to
have a stricter regime than yours has been for a while."

Even if Aunt Anne had been accustomed to have her words
disregarded--which she was not--Mrs. Britton would not have needed much
persuasion to make her fall in with the proposal, for she had often
grieved in private over the fact that, since her husband's death,
Barbara's education had had to suffer that Donald's might advance. And
now, though she wondered how she would get on without her eldest
daughter, she was only too thankful to have such an opportunity thrown
in her way.

"I cannot think why I never interfered before," Miss Britton said, "but
it is better late than never, and we will have as little delay now as
possible."

In a few days the children were all as busy as bees helping to get
Barbara ready. They assisted in choosing her new frocks and hats, and
the style of making; and poor Miss Smith, who came to sew for her, was
nearly distracted by their popping in every now and then to see how she
was getting on. Even Donald, who hated talking about "girls'
fashions," bought a paper, because he saw it had a pattern of a blouse
advertised, and he thought it might be useful.

The family were very curious to hear with whom she was going to France
and where she was going to be, for Aunt Anne had undertaken to make all
the arrangements, and it certainly was a slight shock to the children
when she wrote to say she had made up her mind to go herself for a
fortnight to Paris before sending Barbara off to Brittany, where she
had found a "most suitable place" for her in the house of two maiden
ladies who took in people wanting to learn French.

Donald whistled when Mrs. Britton read that out.

"Fancy a fortnight with Aunt Anne, and then the two maiden ladies.
Jiggers!" (that was a favourite expression of his)--"you'll be worried
out of your life, Barbe."

The worst of it was, that Aunt Anne, who had not been abroad for many
years, said she was going to let Barbara manage the journey and the
sight-seeing in Paris, and sent her a guide-book to read up everything
of interest. She said she was doing this to give her niece experience
and prepare her for being by herself later on; but Donald declared she
wanted to see "what kind of stuff" she was made of, and that if Barbara
did not do things well, she would scoff at her greatly for thinking she
could manage