left there for months together with not a face about
her that she knew, or a person who cared for her, she felt positively
sick with misery. She even dreaded the moment when Aunt Pike should
depart. But the moment soon came, and with a peck at Kitty's cheek, and
a last request that she would make the most of the excellent
opportunities for improvement now opening out before her, and a desire
that she would _try_ to be a good girl. Aunt Pike left her, and Kitty
gazed after her with eyes aching with the tears she would not shed.
She pictured her journeying home to Gorlay, saw her driving up through
the street, drawing up before the old house, the door opening and the
light streaming out, and Betty and Tony--and then the tears came,
whether she would or no, and drowned every thought and sight and sound
but that of her own misery.

No. 127 Laburnum Road was under the joint partnership of two ladies,
Miss Pidsley and Miss Hammond. Miss Pidsley was the chief partner, and
took the lead. She interviewed the parents, managed the house, the
meals, and almost everything, while Miss Hammond's duties lay more
especially with the girls, their lessons and games.

Before ever Kitty went to the school she had decided that she could not
like Miss Pidsley. She declared that she knew exactly what she would be
like. She would be cold, and stern, and hateful, or Aunt Pike would not
have taken to her; and when Miss Pidsley came into the room to receive
them, she knew that to some extent she was right. Her new mistress
welcomed them--at least she shook hands with them--and she smiled--at
least she half closed her eyes in a weary fashion, and widened her lips,
but there was no heartiness or gladness in it. But while Kitty felt the
chilliness of it, she could not help sympathizing with Miss Pidsley.
To her it would have been wonderful if any one had been able to smile in
such a house as that.

Presently tea was brought in, and for nearly half an hour Kitty sat
holding tea and bread and butter, trying her best to swallow both, but
vainly. Miss Hammond did not appear at tea. She had only just arrived,
Miss Pidsley explained, and was tired. The other pupils had not yet
come; there were only four of them, and they travelled by later trains
from higher up the line.

After tea, Kitty, who was to have a room to herself that term as there
was no room-mate for her, was shown her little bare bedroom, and there
Aunt Pike said her farewells,