hivered, feeling the cold intensely after the great heat of the day.
She hoped with all her heart that she would be lucky enough to get an
inflammation of the lungs. Then, Evelyn would be sorry she had been so
cruel to her.

It was nearly two o'clock, and she had several times found herself
nodding, when the sleeper suddenly opened her eyes and sat bolt upright
in bed.

"Laura, good heavens, what are you doing at the window? Oh, you wicked
child, you'll catch your death of cold! Get into bed at once."

And, the culprit still maintaining an immovable silence, Evelyn dragged
her to bed by main force, and tucked her in as tightly as a mummy.

XXIII.

GUT UND BOSE UND LUST UND LEID UND ICH UND DU.

NIETZSCHE

"Laura, you're a cipher!"

"I'm nothing of the sort!" threw back Laura indignantly. "You're one
yourself.--What does she mean, Evvy?" she asked getting out of earshot
of the speaker.

"Goodness knows. Don't mind her, Poppet."

It was an oppressive evening: all day long a hot north wind had scoured
the streets, veiling things and people in clouds of gritty dust; the
sky was still like the prolonged reflection of a great fire. The
hoped-for change had not come, and the girls who strolled the paths of
the garden were white and listless. They walked in couples, with
interlaced arms; and members of the Matriculation Class carried books
with them, the present year being one of much struggling and
heartburning, and few leisured moments. Mary Pidwall and Cupid were
together under an acacia tree at the gate of the tennis-court; and it
was M. P. who had cast the above gibe at Laura. At least Laura took it
as a gibe, and scowled darkly; for she could never grow hardened to
ridicule.

As she and Evelyn re-passed this spot in their perambulation, a merry
little lump of a girl called Lolo, who darted her head from side to
side when she spoke, with the movements of a watchful bird--this
[P.241] Lolo called: "Evelyn, come here, I want to tell you something."

"Yes, what is it?" asked Evelyn, but without obeying the summons; for
she felt Laura's grip of her arm tighten.

"It's a secret. You must come over here."

"Hold on a minute, Poppet," said Evelyn persuasively, and crossed the
lawn with her characteristically lazy saunter. Minutes went by; she did
not return.

"Look at her Laura-ship!" said a saucebox to her partner. The latter
made "Hee-haw, hee-haw!" and both laughed derisively.

The object of the