was their own dear and absolutely beautiful queen. An hour
was still left of her sovereignty. She had quite stolen their hearts;
they loved her like anything.

"What is it, Paulie?" said Briar.

"I must tell you," said Pauline. "I know you won't betray me."

"Indeed we won't," they both answered.

"Well, then, this is what has happened."

She began to tell her story. She told it quickly, for the time was short.
If they were to meet Nancy they must steal away almost at once. Pauline
told her tale with scarcely any comment. When it was finished she looked
at her sisters. The moonlight was in the room, and Pauline's face looked
ghastly, but it looked beautiful also. Her eyes were very big and dark
and solemn and beseeching. Briar and Patty glanced at each other.

"Shall we?" said Briar.

"It seems the only thing to do," said Patty.

"All the same, it is awfully wrong," said Briar.

"Think of poor Paulie," said Patty.

"If we are discovered----" cried Briar.

"Oh, bother!" interrupted Patty. "She's our queen. We must obey her. We
are bound to help her. Let us go. She mustn't run into danger. You know
what Nancy has said: two of us must go with her. She mustn't go alone."

Briar leant towards Patty, and Patty whispered in her ear; and then the
two little girls began to dress.

"You are darlings," said Pauline. "I shall never forget this to
you--never. I have everything else managed. I am going back to my room.
When you are dressed you must shut the door of your room very quietly
behind you, and then you must steal along the corridor and you will find
my door just ajar. We will get out of my window by the beech-tree, and
we'll be back and safe in our beds before any one is up in the morning."

"It certainly is thrilling," said Briar, raising her voice in her
excitement.

"Oh, don't speak so loud!" said Pauline. "Dress very fast. I will wait
for you in my room. I shall be quite ready."

Pauline rushed back to her own room. She then put on a warm golf-cape and
an old hat; and her arrangements having been completed, she bent out of
the French window. In an incredibly short time Briar and Patty appeared.
All three girls were now in the wildest state of excitement. Scruples
were silenced for the time being. Pauline's conscience no longer spoke.
She felt that a midnight picnic, stolen, partaken of under difficulties,
sinned mightily to obtain, had its own inexplicable charm. It was
certainly sweet to be naughty;