"My Euphemia will be charmed to know you, my love," said Mrs Campanelle Brassey, looking at me as if I were good to eat, and she were a cannibal's wife--"charmed, I'm sure." "I sha'n't be charmed to know her," I said to myself, "if she is as insincere as you." "I'm sure that you will soon be the best of friends. It will be so nice for her to have one to welcome her directly she leaves home, and, of course, we shall have the pleasure of seeing you on a visit at the Belfry during the vacation." Of course I thanked her, and thought that if I liked Euphemia I should very likely go home with her for a while, since all places now seemed the same to me, and I should require some _delassement_. "This is one of our classrooms, my dear madam," said Mrs Blunt, opening the door where all the girls were sitting, and just then Clara came across from the practice-room, with her music-book beneath her arm, for Mrs Blunt had taken care that Mrs Campanelle Brassey should not stand and hear her hammer away at the old ting-tang. Clara told me afterwards that she stopped as soon as the door opened. But then Clara never could play a bit, and I must say that she knew it, though, as I before said, her sketches were lovely. "Charming, indeed," said Mrs Campanelle Brassey, inspecting the girls through her glass, just as if it were a lens, and they were all so many cheese-mites. Just then I exchanged glances with Miss Furness, but I was not going to be stared down; for feeling, as I did, fierce and defiant, I just contemptuously lowered my lids. Next moment the door was closed, and we went into the dining-room, and then upstairs to the dormitories. "What a charming little nest!" exclaimed Mrs Campanelle Brassey, when we entered our room at last, after inspecting, I think, every chamber in the place--for everything really was kept beautifully nice, and neat, and clean; and, though plain, the furniture and carpets were tasty and nice--"what a charming little nest! Three beds, too! And pray who sleeps here?" "Let me see," said Mrs Blunt, affecting ignorance, "this is your room, is it not, my dear? Ah! yes, I remember; and you have Miss Fitzacre with you, and who else?" "Miss Smith, ma'am," I said, quietly. "Ah, to be sure, Miss Smith," said Mrs Blunt. "Not a very aristocratic name," said Mrs Campanelle Brassey, smiling, and twirling her eyeglass about. "Pity, now, that that bed is not at liberty; it would have been so charming for the three girls to have been together night and day. I suppose that you could not manage to change the present order, Mrs de Blount?" "Shall I give up my bed, ma'am?" I said, quietly. "Oh, dear me, no--by no means," said Mrs Campanelle Brassey. "I thought, perhaps, as I had seen Lady Fitzacre's daughter and yourself, and you seemed so much of an age, that it might have been possible for the young person of the name of--er--er--" "Smith," suggested Mrs Blunt. "Yes--er--for her to be exchanged into another room."