o however grand a place and however
luxuriant a feast.

"And Nancy's home isn't grand," thought Pauline. "And the food was rough.
Aunt Sophia would even call it coarse. But, oh, I was hungry! And if I
hadn't been so naughty I'd have been very happy. All the same," she
continued, thinking aloud, as was her fashion. "I won't go to that
midnight picnic; and Renny must not go either. Of course, I can't tell
Aunt Sophia what I did last night. I promised Nancy I wouldn't tell, and
it wouldn't be fair; but see if I do anything wrong again! I'll work like
a Briton at my lessons to-day. Oh, how badly my arm hurts! And what an
awful noise the storm is making! The thunder rattles as though it would
come through the roof. My arm does ache! Oh, what lightning! I think I'll
put my head under the sheet."

Pauline did so, and notwithstanding the tempest, she had scarcely got
down into the real warmth of her bed before sleep visited her.

When she awoke the storm was over, the sun was shining, and Verena was
standing at the foot of her bed.

"Do get up, Paulie," she said. "How soundly you have slept! And your face
is so flushed! And, oh, aren't you just starving? We only discovered last
night that you hadn't touched any of your food."

"I'm all right," said Pauline.

"You will try to be good to-day, won't you, Paulie? You don't know how
miserable I was without you, for you are my own special most darling
chum. You will try, won't you?"

"Yes, I will try, of course," said Pauline. "Truly--truly, I will try."

CHAPTER XII.

CHANGED LIVES.

After the mental storm of the day before, Pauline would never forget the
peace of the day that followed. For Miss Tredgold, having punished, and
the hours of punishment being over, said nothing further to signify her
displeasure. She received Pauline kindly when she appeared in the
schoolroom. She took her hand and drew the little girl toward her. It was
with a great effort that the poor girl could suppress the shriek that
nearly rose to her lips as the unconscious Miss Tredgold touched her
burnt arm.

"We will forget about yesterday, Pauline," said her aunt. "We will go
back to work this morning just as though there never had been any
yesterday. Do you understand?"

"I think so," said Pauline.

"Do you happen to know your lessons?"

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Well, my dear, as this is practically your first transgression, I am the
last person to be over-hard. You can listen to