I will say nothing more now about your forgetting my orders last evening.
Do better in the future and all will be well."

It was with great difficulty that Pauline could keep the tears from her
eyes. What was to become of her. She did not dare expose her burnt arm;
she could not possibly wear a blouse with sleeves that reached only to
the elbow without showing the great burn she had received. If Miss
Tredgold found out, might she not also find out more? What was she to do?

"What am I to do, Verena?" she said on the afternoon of that same day.

"What do you mean, Paulie? Your arm is better, is it not?"

"Yes; it doesn't hurt quite so much. But how can I wear the new blouse
to-night?"

"Would it not be wiser," said Verena, "if you were to tell Aunt Sophy
that you have burnt your arm? It is silly to make a mystery of it."

"But she will make me tell her how I did it."

"Well?"

"I daren't tell her that. I daren't even tell you."

"What am I to think, Paulie?"

"Anything you like. You are my own sister, and you must not betray me.
But she must never know. Can't you think of something to get me out of
this? Oh, dear! what is to be done?"

Verena shook her head.

"I don't know what is to be done," she said, "if you haven't the courage
to speak the truth. You have probably got into some scrape."

"Oh! I----"

"I am sure you have, Paulie; and the sooner you tell the better. The
longer you conceal whatever it is, the worse matters will grow."

Pauline's face grew crimson.

"I am exceedingly sorry I told you," she said. "You are not half, nor
quarter, as nice a sister as you used to be. Don't keep me. I am going
into the shrubbery to help Penelope to look for Aunt Sophy's thimble."

Verena said nothing further, and Pauline went into the shrubbery.

"I seem to be getting worse," she said to herself. "Of course, I don't
really want to help Penelope. How should I, when I know where the thimble
is? There she is, hunting, hunting, as usual. What a queer, unpleasant
child she is growing!"

Penelope saw Pauline, and ran up to her.

"You might tell me everything to-day," said the child. "Where did you put
it?"

"I have come to help you to look for it, Pen."

"Don't be silly," was Penelope's answer.

She instantly stood bolt upright.

"There's no use in my fussing any longer," she said. "I've gone round and
round here, and picked up leaves, and looked under all the weeds. There
isn't a corner I've left unpo