l and
composed as usual.

"Why, Florry," she exclaimed, "she has got you three yards, and it is
absolutely beautiful, satiny and smooth, and not a scrap of cotton in
the ribbon, and such a sweet color. What does it mean?"

"Kitty, do you understand?" said Florence.

"I am so glad you have got it," said Kitty, in a quiet voice; "yes, it
is lovely ribbon; perhaps they had a cheap sale or something."

"Perhaps," said Florence, "but all the same I don't believe this ribbon
could have been bought for twopence a yard. I must speak to
mademoiselle; she could not--oh, no, no, that is
impossible--mademoiselle is very poor and stingy--but what does it
mean?"

"It means that you are going to wear cherry-colored ribbons to-night,
doesn't it?" said Kitty, "and now cheer up, do, Florry, and work away
at your history. I must run off now to wash my hands before dinner."

CHAPTER VIII.

THE LETTER.

After dinner Mrs. Clavering called the girls of the Upper school into
the oak parlor.

"My dears," she said, "I won't keep you a minute, but I have just had a
letter from Sir John Wallis, and he wishes me to say that he would like
the girls who are to compete for the preliminary examination for the
Scholarship to write their answers to the English History questions.
He has sent over the questions in this envelope, and you can all read
them, and you are to write your answers in advance, and fold them up
and put them into envelopes for him to open and read to-night. I
believe there are ten questions, but his rule is that you are none of
you to be helped by any book in the answers, and that no one girl is to
assist another. That is all, my dears; you can go into the school-room
and get the matter through in less than an hour if you like. And now
hurry away, for there is no time to lose. I will have the question
pinned up in the school-room for you all to see."

Mrs. Clavering hastened away, and all the girls of the Upper school,
seven in all, presently found themselves seated by their desks, busily
answering Sir John Wallis's questions on the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

When Mrs. Clavering had made her statement Florence had cast one
anxious, half-despairing glance in Kitty's direction, and Kitty had
slowly raised her arched eyebrows and looked at her friend with
compassion and distress.

Kitty now walked quickly to her desk, glanced at the questions, and
wrote the answers in a good bold, firm hand.

Her early trai