'I doubt it; pride is very strong with your sister; but I hope we shall be friends in spite of it. Now, good-bye, don't miss your train,' he said, holding out his hand before Vava had time to ask how they could be friends without ever seeing each other. As it was, she missed Doreen, who had gone by the earlier train, so she had to go home alone, a thing she had never done before; and she felt a little surprised and hurt at the indifferent way Mr. Jones had said good-bye to her for ever, as she believed. CHAPTER XXIV. BADLY BEGUN AND MADLY ENDED. Looking back on that examination week, Vava declared afterwards that it was the longest week and the most eventful of her whole life--it 'began badly and ended madly,' was how she put it, talking about it to nursie, her confidante and comforter during this trying time. She went home, feeling rather depressed, with an inward conviction that her sister's leaving Messrs Baines, Jones & Co. was her fault in the first instance, and she made a mental resolution to be more careful in the future what she said. However, Stella met her with no reproachful looks, but was calmly darning a tablecloth as if she had not just thrown up thirty-five shillings, or rather two pounds, a week, which meant a good deal to them at the present moment. 'You never told me you were not going to town at all,' was Vava's greeting. 'It is none of your business,' said Stella, who, though she imagined she had told Vava, did not wish to be questioned on the subject. 'All the same, you might have told me, for I went to your little room as usual to fetch you, and there was Mr. Jones typing his own letters,' retorted Vava with an injured air. As it happened, she was getting the best of it, for Stella, who was not at all pleased at this news, could not scold her for going there; besides, it made the elder sister rather uncomfortable to know how her sudden departure had inconvenienced her late employer. But not yet would she own herself to be in the wrong. 'I hope you did not stop and talk,' she remarked. 'I asked where you were, and Mr. Jones told me you had left; but he would not keep me, he said, as he knew you disliked him'----replied Vava. 'Vava, what do you mean?' interrupted her sister. 'If you had let me finish I was going to say, "being friends with me,"' said Vava. 'Then you should talk grammatically; it is not "him being friends" but "his being friends."' 'Well, he isn't either, so it does not matter,' replied Vava testily, for she was very sorry about it all, and this made her cross. The next morning's post brought Stella three letters. One was from the junior partner, which she opened first, though why it should have interested her does not seem clear, as she had finished with him and would not return to him on any account; perhaps she wished to be asked at least. If so, she was disappointed. Mr. Jones's note was short and formal. Stella had begun her letter of resignation 'Dear Sir;' but Mr. Jones replied: