and--Oh! I love you, Miss Muriel, you
know I do!"

The lady Principal calmly loosened Winifred's clasping arms, and
smilingly looked into the sparkling, pleading eyes before her. Who
could be stern with the whimsical child she had cared for during so
many years, and under whose apparently saucy manner, lay a deep love
and respect? She did not enlighten the pleader on the fact that this
was no new thing she had just heard; nor that there had been written
communications passing between Mr. Christie and the Bishop with
consent already won. But she put her answer off by saying:

"We'll see about it, Winifred: and I'm glad there was nobody save
Dorothy here to see you so misbehave! But if we go, and if the
selection is left to me, I may not please you; for I should choose
those whose record for good conduct is highest and whose preparation
for exams is most complete."

Winifred wrinkled her brows. Of course she, as hostess couldn't be
counted either out or in, but she knew without telling that but few of
her own class-ten would be allowed to go. They were the jolliest "ten"
at Oak Knowe and oftener in disgrace about lessons than free from it.

"Oh! dear! I do wish we'd dreamed this treat was coming! I'd have
forced the 'Aldriches' to study as hard as they played--if--if I had
to do it at the point of my mahl-stick. I guess it'll be a lesson to
them."

"I trust it will, dear, but Dorothy has waited all this time. Three
little maids with three little wishes, regular fairy-tale like, and
two of them granted already. What's yours, Dorothy?"

Since listening to the others' requests, her own seemed very simple,
almost foolish; but she answered promptly:

"I want to get you a boot-boy."

Winifred laughed.

"Hey, Dolly! To switch off from a private-car-ice-palace-trip into a
boot-boy's jacket is funny enough. Who's the candidate you're
electioneering for?"

Miss Muriel hushed Winifred's nonsense which had gone far enough and
was due, she knew, to the girl's wild delight over her father's
promised visit.

"If you could find a good one for me, Dorothy, you would certainly be
doing me a favor, not I one for you. Whom do you mean?"

"Robin Locke, Miss Tross-Kingdon. He's so very poor."

"Poverty isn't always a recommendation for usefulness. Is he old
enough? Is it that lad who came with Mr. Gilpin?"

"Yes, Miss Muriel. He's just the loveliest boy I've seen in Canada--"

"The _only_ one, except Jack!" interrupted Win