‘First, it has something to do with a change in the establishment.’ ‘That is right!’ ‘And it grew out of your father’s visit to Rille last week.’ ‘Right again! I believe Tessie has been telling you.’ ‘I have done no such thing!’ retorted her sister, indignantly. ‘Did we not promise papa to say nothing till it was certain?’ ‘I can vouch for my knowledge being the result of my own sharpness only,’ I said; ‘so you must blame no one else, Ange!’ ‘Very well. What more has your sharpness discovered?’ ‘That there is a gentleman connected with this change.’ ‘She _does_ know it!’ ejaculated Ange, with a very suspicious expression of countenance. ‘You must have overheard us talking of it, Hilda.’ ‘With my ear to the keyhole! No, Ange dear, that is not my usual method of gaining information. Well, then, for a final guess! This change will take you away from St. Pucelle.’ ‘Take _me_ away, do you mean? or take us _all_ away?’ ‘All, of course—bag and baggage—and give you a new home somewhere else.’ ‘Oh no; that’s wrong!’ said Ange, shaking her head determinately—‘_quite_ wrong!’ ‘What! Shall you stay in St. Pucelle?’ ‘Of course! Where else should we go? What would papa do without his living?’ ‘Oh, then I’m out altogether, and my other guesses go for nothing. The gentleman and the change that is connected with your father’s visit to Rille remain unfathomable mysteries to me. I see I have been on a wrong tack.’ ‘I’m _so_ glad!’ cried Ange, clapping her hands. ‘Now, as a punishment for daring to guess at all, you shall not hear a single word of the wonderful change until it actually takes place. Do you understand, Hilda?’ ‘Perfectly! and as it is your _jour de fête_, I suppose you are to be allowed to tyrannise over your betters with impunity. I only hope when the revelation comes, that it will not be so startling as to prevent my surviving it.’ Mr. Lovett had been laughing heartily all through this little episode. He seemed perfectly to enter into his daughters’ delight at teasing me about their wonderful secret, at which Tessie proved to be as good as her sister; and I think it would have been difficult to find more cheerful faces in St. Pucelle than rose from our breakfast-table that morning. Naturally I suffered a great deal during the remainder of that day from the hands of both my young friends. They were running about the house like busy bees all the morning, helping in the kitchen and the bedchambers; but whenever they crossed my path, they seized the opportunity to taunt me with my ignorance concerning their secret.