be
impossible for me to invite other children here, and yet I could not
accept attentions for you which I could not return.'

'But this is different, being at Miss Scarlett's, where we go to school.
You didn't mind our going to the breaking-up party before the midsummer
holiday,' said Jacinth, trembling a little at the irresolution in her
aunt's face.

'Oh, I don't mean to stop her going,' said Miss Mildmay. 'It is very
nice of you to be so eager for Frances to have the little pleasure. But
just warn her, if you can, not to get too intimate with the other girls.
It will only cause trouble and annoyance. Frances is an impulsive
little creature, but she is old enough to understand that she should be
discreet. The worst of any girls' school, even the best, is the chatter
and gossip that go on.'

'I have often warned Frances about that kind of thing,' said Jacinth.
'The girls are all very nice and lady-like, but of course we don't see
very much of them; it is not as if we were boarders. Francie is more
sensible about making friends than she was at first. The only two she
really likes _very_ much are the Harpers--Bessie and Margaret
Harper--the girls she was speaking of to you.'

'They are nice girls, I believe,' said Miss Mildmay. 'Miss Scarlett told
me about them. I don't think we need discourage her friendship with
them. After all, any gossip one would dislike is more probable with the
other day-scholars, and you have not much to do with them, I think.'

'There are so few compared with the boarders,' said Jacinth, 'and
they're all great friends together. I don't think any of them are
particularly interesting. Thank you so much, Aunt Alison, for letting
Frances go. I'll run and tell her, she will be so delighted.'

And so she was, delighted and grateful, so that she took in good part
the little lecture Jacinth proceeded to give her in accordance with her
aunt's wish.

'I _am_ careful, I really am, Jass,' she maintained. 'I don't care a bit
for any of the day-scholars. They are rather common just because they
think they're not, and they do _so_ look down on Miss Green's scholars.
It's quite absurd. The only girls I really care for are the Harpers,
and--well, a little for Prissy Beckingham, though she's rather silly.'

'It's the day-scholars Aunt Alison doesn't want you to be great friends
with,' said Jacinth. 'In a little place like this, there's always a lot
of chatter. She knows the Harpers are nice girls.'

'W