nly stepped into it, but she took the reins with a
determined hand.

"I mean to drive Bob," she said. "I suppose no one objects."

She looked back with her bright, dancing eyes, first at Rosamund and
then at Miss Frost.

"Certainly; he is your pony," said Rosamund. "You have every right to
drive him."

Miss Frost did not speak. They both entered the governess-cart, and
Irene, making a cracking noise with the whip, as she had learned from
one of the grooms, started off at a break-neck speed down the somewhat
steep avenue. Poor Miss Frost felt inclined to cry out, but Rosamund
took one of her hands and pressed it.

After a minute Rosamund's hand was lightly laid on Irene's arm.

"Irene, pull Bob in; he is going much too fast for safety. You don't
want his knees to be broken, and we don't want to be tossed out of the
cart. Do what I wish you to do instantly."

Irene's eyes wore for a moment almost a wicked expression; then they
softened. She put on a check with some vigor, and soon Bob was trotting
along the country roads like an ordinary pony.

Many people looked at the three as they saw them in the cart. Never in
the entire memory of man had Irene been seen driving with any of her
family. There were times when she had gone herself to the stables, had
harnessed Bob, who was a very wild and spirited little pony, and had
driven off at a furious rate all by herself. She had then left the
beaten track, and gone on the moors, bringing home the pony and cart
much dilapidated from the exercise. But, strange to say, the wild child
herself never seemed to come to any grief.

A mad desire to go right away from the Leaves, to dash on to the moors,
and defy Rosamund and Miss Frost, had just for a moment taken possession
of her. But again gentler thoughts had come to her, and by-and-by she
found herself driving in at the gates of the Rectory.

Now, it so happened that on this very day Mr. Singleton was giving a
feast to the poor children of the neighborhood; and when the
governess-cart, containing Rosamund, Miss Frost, and Irene, arrived on
the premises, there were no less than a hundred children enjoying tea on
one of the lawns. In consequence, Maud, Alice, Bertha, Mary, Ivy, and
Jasmine, and last, but not least, Miss Carter herself, were all busily
engaged, when the sound of wheels caused them to raise their heads. Miss
Carter gave utterance to one piercing scream, laid the cup which she had
been filling from a huge urn