ow in
the little room, half schoolroom, half nursery, appropriated to their
use, on the same floor as the sisters' bedroom.

'Do let us go,' said Jacinth, impatiently, 'and don't even talk of being
greedy, Eugene; it's not nice.'

Notwithstanding these little elements of discord before they started,
the walk turned out a great success. It was a delicious day, to begin
with, and lovely autumn weather is no doubt more soothing in its effect
on both old and young than that of any other season. The little party
stepped out bravely; the four miles to Aldersmere seemed only half the
real distance, and the place itself, when they reached it, would have
rewarded a much greater amount of exertion.

It was a little lake, lying in a hollow; the trees, from which came its
name, growing almost into the water. There was a curious charm about the
intense loneliness of the place, none the less that it was not actually
very far removed from the haunts of men. The pool was said in the
neighbourhood to be exceedingly deep, and the dark still water looked
mysterious enough to be so; but then this is said of every pond or lake
of romantic appearance in all parts of the country, just as every
tumble-down ruin or gloomy deserted house is sure to have the name of
being haunted.

At one side there was a little clearing and a tempting stretch of
velvety-looking grass, disfigured, however, by blackened patches where
gipsy-fires, amateur or professional, had recently been lighted.

'It would be a jolly place for a picnic,' said Frances. 'I wonder if
it's picnickers who've been here, or gipsies.'

'Real gipsies choose opener places generally,' said Jacinth. 'Still this
would be a very cosy place in hot weather, but I suspect it's only been
picnics. Let's remember it for next summer, Francie, and try to coax
Aunt Alison to let us bring our dinner or at least our tea with us one
nice hot day.'

'It wouldn't be much fun all by ourselves,' said Frances. 'If we could
ask the Harpers to come too some holiday, _that_ would be fun.'

'Oh how you tease about the Harpers!' replied Jacinth impatiently. 'I
daresay you'll have quarrelled with them long before next summer, as you
did with the Beckinghams.'

'Jacinth, it's very unkind of you to say that,' said Frances,
indignantly. 'I _didn't_ quarrel with the Beckinghams, only you wouldn't
have had me stand Priscilla saying that papa and mamma can't care for
us much if they leave us all these years wi