w nearer and peered into her friend's face with
her kind, near-sighted eyes, "you've been crying. This will never do.
Tell me the base varlet that hath caused these tears," she rumbled in a
deep voice, "and be he lord of fifty realms I'll have his blood.
'Sdeath! Odds bodkins! Let me smite the villain. I could slay and slay,
and be a teacher still. Provided the faculty didn't object, and I wasn't
arrested," she ended practically.

Grace's woe-be-gone face brightened at Emma's nonsense. "You always
succeed in making me smile when I am the bluest of the blue," she said
fondly.

"I can't see why such strongly dramatic language as I used should make
you laugh. It was really quite Shakespearian. You see I have 'the bard'
on the brain. We have been taking up Elizabethan English in one of my
classes, and once I become thoroughly saturated with Shakespearian verse
I am likely to quote it on all occasions. Don't be surprised if I burst
forth into blank verse at the table or any other public place. But here
I've been running along like a talking machine when you are 'full fathom
five' in the blues. Can't you tell your aged and estimable friend, Emma,
what is troubling you?"

"You were right, Emma. The summons came." Grace's voice was husky. "I've
just had a session with Miss Wharton."

"About Miss Brent?"

"Yes. She sent for both of us. She asked Miss Brent to explain certain
things which she could, but would not, explain. I was in Miss Brent's
confidence. As you know, she told me about herself after I came back
from the Thanksgiving holiday. It entirely changed my opinion of her. I
wish I could tell you everything, but I can't. I gave her my word of
honor that I would keep her secret. But, to-day, when she saw how
unjustly Miss Wharton reprimanded me I thought she might have strained a
point and told Miss Wharton her story. Still I don't know that it would
have helped much." Grace sighed wearily. "Miss Wharton is not Miss
Wilder. She is a hard, narrow-minded, cruel woman," Grace's dispirited
tones gathered sudden vehemence, "and she would misjudge Miss Brent just
as she misjudged me. She is going to send for us again in a few days,
and she declares that, if I do not tell her everything, she will take
measures to have me removed from my position here." Grace turned tragic
eyes to her friend.

"The idea!" rang out Emma's indignant cry. "Just as though she could.
Why, Harlowe House was named for you. If Mrs. Gray knew she ev