as well as she could.
Verena was quite a skilful little nurse in her own way, and as Pauline
had some of the wonderful ointment which the Kings' cook had given her,
and as Verena knew very nicely how to spread it on a piece of rag, the
arm soon became more comfortable.

Just before dinner Miss Tredgold called all the girls round her.

"I have something to say," she remarked. "I want you all to go upstairs
now; don't wait until five minutes before dinner. You will each find
lying on your bed, ready for wearing, a suitable dinner-blouse. Put it on
and come downstairs. You will wear dinner-dress every night in future, in
order to accustom you to the manners of good society. Now go upstairs,
tidy yourselves, and come down looking as nice as you can."

The girls were all very much excited at the thought of the dinner-blouses.
They found them, as Aunt Sophia had said, each ready to put on, on their
little beds. Verena's was palest blue, trimmed daintily with a lot of
fluffy lace. The sleeves were elbow-sleeves, and had ruffles round them.
The blouse in itself was quite a girlish one, and suited its fair wearer
to perfection. Pauline's blouse was cream-color; it also had
elbow-sleeves, and was very slightly open at the neck.

"Do be quick, Paulie," called out Briar. "I have got a sweet, darling,
angel of a pink blouse. Get into yours, and I'll get into mine. Oh, what
tremendous fun this is!"

Briar ran whooping and singing down the corridor. She was met by nurse
with baby in her arms.

"Now, Miss Rose, what's up?" said the good woman. "You do look happy, to
be sure. You don't seem to miss the old days much."

"Of course I don't, nursey. I'm twice as happy as I used to be."

"Twice as happy with all them lessons to learn?"

"Yes; twice as happy, and twice as good. She doesn't scold us when we're
good. In fact, she's just uncommonly nice. And to-night she says she'll
play and sing to us; and it's so delicious to listen to her! Dad comes
out of his study just as if she drew him by magic. And I like to learn
things. I won't be a horrid pig of an ignorant girl any more. You will
have to respect me in the future, nursey. And there's a darling little
blouse lying on my bed--pink, like the leaf of a rose. I am to wear it
to-night. I expect Aunt Sophia chose it because I'm like a rose myself. I
shall look nice, shan't I, nursey?"

"That's all very well," said nurse. "And for my part I don't object to
civilized ways, and bri