pleasure; and there she
was, arm in arm with her fat saviour, promenading the grounds like any
other of the fifty-five.

She assumed, as well as she could, an air of feeling at her ease even
in the presence of the cold and curious looks that met her. The fat
girl was protective, and Laura felt too grateful to her to take it
amiss that every now and then she threw back her head and laughed anew,
at the remembrance of Laura's patronymics; or that she still exchanged
jokes about them with the other couple, when they met.

But by this time half an hour had slipped away, and the girls were fast
disappearing. Maria Morell loitered till the last minute, then said,
she, too, must be off to 'stew'. Every one was hastening across the
verandah laden with books, and disappearing down a corridor. Left
alone, Laura made her way back to the dining-hall. Here some of the
very young boarders were preparing their lessons, watched over by a
junior governess. Laura lingered for a little, to see if no order were
forthcoming, then diffidently approached the table and asked the
governess if she would please tell her what to do.

"I'm sure I don't know," answered that lady, disinclined for
responsibility. "You'd better ask Miss Chapman. Here, Maggie, show her
where the study is."

Laura followed the little girl over the verandah and down the corridor.
At the end, the child pointed to a door, and on opening this Laura
found herself in a very large brightly lighted room, where the boarders
sat at two long tables with their books before them. Every head was
raised at her entrance. In great embarrassment, she threaded her way to
the more authoritative-looking of the governesses in charge, and
proffered her request. It was not understood, and she had to repeat it.

"I'm sure I don't know," said Miss Day in her turn: she had stiff,
black, wavy hair, a vivid colour, and a big, thick nose which made her
profile resemble that of a horse. "Can't you twiddle your thumbs for a
bit?--Oh well, if you're so desperately anxious for an occupation,
you'd better ask Miss Chapman."

The girls in the immediate neighbourhood laughed noiselessly, in a
bounden-duty kind of way, at their superior's pleasantry, and Laura,
feeling as though she had been hit, crossed to the other table. Miss
Chapman, the head governess, was neither so hard-looking nor so
brilliant as Miss Day. She even eyed Laura somewhat uneasily, meanwhile
toying with a long gold chain, after t