is equally so."

And thus they proceeded, the Colonel radiant with every successful
stroke, and blaming mallet, ball, and ground when otherwise, reiterating,
"I can't make a stroke to-day."

Bluebell was very fond of the Colonel, who liked pretty faces about him,
and had been kind to her; but she could not resist a slight feeling of
repulsion at what she considered an abject maneuver of Miss Prosody's.
His ball, by an unskilful miss, was left in her power; her duty to her
side required her to crack it to the other end of the ground, but a
glance at the irritable gloom of his countenance induced her to discover
it to be more to her advantage to attack one rather beyond, and,
judiciously missing it left her own blue one an easy stroke for him.

The shadows dispersed, and, all playfulness, the Colonel apostrophized
his prize, which he succeeded in hitting. "Here is my little friend in
blue; shall I hurt it? no, I will not harm it." By-play of relief and
gratitude on the governess's part, as he requited her amiability by
merely taking two off, leaving his interesting friend in blue unmoved.

This naturally did not enhance the interest of the children who felt it
was not the game of croquet that was being played. Cecil, replying with a
laughing glance to the indignant eye-telegraphy of Fleda, began to play
at random; and Bluebell and Lola, not finding much antagonism from the
other side, soon pulled the Colonel through his hoops and won the game.
After which, Bluebell retraced her steps across the common, accompanied
part of the way by Miss Rolleston, to whom she also confided her
governess's projects.

Cecil was very fond of her; she had few companions, and her sisters were
mere children. All the time the younger girl was talking, she was
silently revolving a plan. It so happened this Cecil was in rather
independent circumstances for a young lady, maternal relative having left
her a legacy at twelve years old which, by the time she was twenty-one,
would bring in a thousand a year.

In the mean time, she drew half that sum annually, and, of course,
contributed to the domestic expenses. How much pleasanter it would be for
Bluebell to live with them than with strangers. She might be _her_
musical teacher; singing duets even brought out her own voice
surprisingly; it would be delightful to practise together; the children
had no taste for music, neither did Mrs. Rolleston care for it. Besides,
she felt a generous pleasure