h, you are hard!" she said. "Is no one to help a girl who will soon
become irreclaimable? Why, already I have an influence over her."

But the Professor did not answer.

"Give yourself a week," he said after a long pause; "then come to me
again with your resolution."

She was about to leave the room when he again laid his hand on her arm.

"Give me your word of honor, Rosamund Cunliffe, that you do not go again
to The Follies until the week is up."

She looked at him, struggled to speak, but remained silent.

"Your word of honor," he repeated, "you do not go to The Follies until
the week is up."

"My word of honor!" she said then in a faltering tone. "I will not go on
one condition, that you allow me to write to Lady Jane."

"You may do that if you promise to tell her the exact truth, that you
are on parole for a week. At the end of that time you may come to a
decision. God grant it may be a right one! I trust you, but leave me
now, please, dear."

Rosamund left the room.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE RECTORY.

On the following Wednesday all the girls belonging to Mrs. Merriman's
school, accompanied by Miss Archer, went to have tea with the
Singletons. Even Rosamund was interested in this visit. She did not say
much about it. She had been rather silent and, as Jane Denton said, "off
color" for the last few days. She had forgotten to be wild or
cantankerous. She had even ceased to notice Lucy; and as to her lessons,
she had gone through the tasks assigned to her with sufficient
promptitude and sufficient correctness to win fairly good remarks from
the two governesses and from the different teachers who came to visit
the little school. Of Irene Ashleigh she absolutely refused to speak.
With regard to her adventure on Sunday she also kept a profound silence.
No one, not even Jane Denton, could induce her to alter her mind with
regard to this particular. Jane was anxious about her friend. Laura
Everett said that she did not think Rosamund Cunliffe nearly as
interesting as when she first met her. Phyllis Flower looked wise and
mysterious, as she always did, and everything settled down to a
monotonous and yet harmonious contentment at Sunnyside.

Nevertheless, Wednesday was thought a good deal about, and the girls of
the entire school--for every single one was invited--headed by Lucy and
accompanied by Miss Archer, started to walk to the Rectory.

Now, Rosamund's interest in this expedition was on no account to