r, what a bad girl I am turning into!"

Nancy laughed again.

"It is sometimes very tiresome to develop a conscience," she said. "You
were a much nicer girl before that grand aunt of yours arrived to turn
things topsy-turvy. As to the midnight picnic, you must come. I have made
a bet on the subject. Jack and Tom say you won't come--that you will be
afraid. 'Pauline Dale afraid! That's all you know about her,' says I. I
have assured them that you will come whatever happens, and they have said
you won't. So the end of it is that Tom, Jack, and I have made a bet
about it. It is ten shillings' worth either way. If you come, I get three
beautiful pairs of gloves. If you don't come, I give the boys ten
shillings. Now you see how important it is. Why, Paulie, of course you
will come! We are going to have a right-down jolly time, for father is so
tickled with the notion that he is coming, too; and he says he will give
us a real good lark. And we are going to Friar's Oak, eight miles away;
and we are to take hampers full of dainties. And Fiddler Joe will come
with us to play for us; and there's a beautiful green-sward just under
the beech-trees by Friar's Oak, and there we'll dance by the full light
of the moon. Oh, you must come! I told father you were coming, and he was
awfully pleased--as pleased as Punch--and he said:

"'That's right, my girl; that's right, Nancy. If the Dales stick to me
through thick and thin, I'll stick to them.'

"You know, Pauline, you have always been at our fun before; so, aunt or
no aunt, you can't fail us now."

"I'd like to go beyond anything," said Pauline, who felt intensely
tempted by this description. "It is so horrible to be pulled up short.
But I know I can't, so there's no use thinking about it."

"You needn't answer me now. I'll come back again. This is Friday night.
I'll come back on Monday night. The picnic is arranged for Wednesday
night. Listen, Paulie; you will have to change your mind, for if you
don't--well!"

"If I don't?"

"I can make it very hot for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll come and have a talk with your aunt. There!"

"Oh, Nancy. What about?"

"Such an interesting story, darling! All about our fun that night when
you burnt your arm--all about our gaiety, and the fireworks, and your
stealing away as you did, and your stealing back as you did. Oh! I shall
have a jolly story to tell; and I will tell it, too. She'll turn me away,
and tell me she'll never see m