ounced Lady Jane Ashleigh, then at once closed it behind
the good lady, and went with her friend Jane Denton into the grounds.

"You have got into a scrape," said Jane. "I never knew anything like it.
What a pity you went!"

"Oh! don't bother me, Jane. I really don't care a bit if they do punish
me. What punishment can they inflict?"

"Lucy said that you ought to be expelled," said Jane. "You never knew
anything like her rage. But I rather think she did harm than otherwise,
for the Professor said to her, 'Oh, gently, Lucy--gently. It is her
first offense.' So I don't expect they will do that."

"It would be rather delightful if they did," said Rosamund, "for then I
could go to Lady Jane and have a right good time. There, come along. I
have a lot to tell you, but nothing at all to tell the others. Here they
are coming to meet us, with that precious Lucy at their head. Wouldn't I
like to take her out on the lake?" thought Rosamund, but she did not
utter her thought aloud.

The fact was, seeing these good, well-behaved girls brought back a great
deal of her naughty spirit, whereas terribly naughty Irene made her feel
more or less good.

"What a strange creature I am!" she thought, with a sigh. "And how can I
hope to influence any one?"

Meanwhile Lucy came straight up until she stood a few feet away from
Rosamund.

"I wonder," she said, speaking in even a more formal way than usual,
"how you can look me in the face, Rosamund. Have you ever been at school
before?"

"I don't call this school," said Rosamund; "it is a private house. It is
true we are subject to rules." Then she added, making a great effort to
control herself and to speak quietly, "I will tell your father and
mother what I feel with regard to this day's expedition; but I will not
tell you, for you are only a school-girl like myself, and I expect, when
all is said and done, not a bit better."

"Not a bit better?" repeated Lucy, her voice almost choking. "Why, I
never disobeyed my parents in the whole course of my life."

"I am not aware that I have disobeyed mine," said Rosamund. "But," she
continued, turning to the other girls, "I will talk of this to my master
and mistress, Professor and Mrs. Merriman, and not to you, Lucy."

Then she linked her hand through Jane Denton's arm, called to Laura
Everett to follow her, while Annie Millar, Laura's special friend,
immediately turned to join the little group, and the four children soon
found themselve