ve barely another five minutes to stay with you, and there's a
lot to talk over."

"I'm in great luck to be able to come at all, Nancy. I didn't think I
could ever slip away from the others. As to the midnight picnic, we must
give it up. It is quite impossible for me to come. And I know the others
won't; they're all getting so fond of Aunt Sophy. What do you think? She
has given us ponies, and we're to have carriage-horses presently; and we
are obliged to dress for dinner every evening."

"Oh, you are turning aristocratic, and I hate you," said Nancy, with a
toss of the head.

She looked intensely jealous and annoyed. She herself was to ride soon,
and her habit was already being made. She had hoped against hope that
Miss Tredgold would be impressed by seeing her gallop past in an elegant
habit on a smart horse.

"Oh, Nancy!" said Pauline, "don't let us talk about ponies and things of
that sort now; I am in great, great trouble."

"I must say I'm rather glad," said Nancy. "You know, Paulie, you are in
some ways perfectly horrid. I did a great deal for you the other night,
and this is all the thanks I get. You won't come to the midnight picnic,
forsooth! And you won't have anything more to do with me, forsooth!
You'll ride past me, I suppose, and cut me dead."

"I shall never do anything unkind, for I really do love you, Nancy. I
have always loved you, but I can't get into fresh scrapes. They're not
worth while."

"You didn't talk like that when you were mad and starving the other day."

"No, I didn't; but I do now. I have been miserable ever since I came
back; and, oh, my arm has pained me so badly! You can imagine what I felt
last evening when we were desired to wear pretty new blouses with
elbow-sleeves; such sweet little dears as they all were. Mine was
cream-color--just what suits me best--but of course I couldn't appear in
it."

"Why not?"

"With my burnt arm! How could I, Nancy?"

Nancy burst out into a roar of laughter.

"What a lark!" she cried. "Well, and what did the poor little Miss Misery
do?"

"I had to put on an old dirty shirt, the only one I could find. Aunt
Sophia gave me no end of a lecture this morning. She says I am to wear my
new blouse to-night or she'll know the reason why. Of course, I can't
wear it."

"Then you can't have any dinner?"

"I am absolutely beside myself to know what to do," said Pauline.
"Sometimes I think I'll go to bed and pretend I have got a headache. Oh,
dea