Betty was not only brilliant socially; at the same time she had fine intellectual powers. She was the delight of her teachers, for she could imbibe knowledge as a sponge absorbs water. On this particular day she was at her best during a very difficult lesson at the piano from a professor who came from London. Betty had always a passionate love of music, and to-day she revelled in it. She had been learning one of Chopin's Nocturnes, and now rendered it with exquisite pathos. The professor was delighted, and in the midst of the performance Mrs. Haddo came into the music-room. She listened with approval, and when the girl rose, said, "Well done!" Another girl took her place; and Betty, running up to Mrs. Haddo, said, "Oh, may I speak to you?" "Yes, dear; what is it? Come to my room for a minute, if you wish, Betty." "It isn't important enough for that. Dear Mrs. Haddo, it's just that I am mad for a bit of frolic." "Frolic, my child! You seem to have plenty." "Not enough--not enough--not nearly enough for a wild girl of Aberdeenshire, a girl who has lived on the moors and loved them." "What do you want, dear child?" "I want most awfully, with your permission, to go with my two sisters Sylvia and Hester to have tea with the Mileses. I want to pet those dogs again, and I want to go particularly badly between now and next Thursday." "And why especially between now and next Thursday?" "Ah, I can't quite give you the reason. There is a reason. Please--please--please say yes!" "It is certainly against my rules." "But, dear Mrs. Haddo, it isn't against your rules if you give leave," pleaded the girl. "You are very clever at arguing, Betty. I certainly have liberty to break rules in individual cases. Well, dear child, it shall be so. I will send a line to Mrs. Miles to ask her to expect you and your sisters to-morrow. A servant shall accompany you, and will call again later on. You can only stay about one hour at the farm. To-morrow is a half-holiday, so it will be all right." "Oh, how kind of you!" said Betty. But again Mrs. Haddo noticed that Betty avoided looking into her eyes. "Betty," she said, "this is a small matter--my yielding to the whim of an impetuous girl in whom I take an interest. But, my dear child, I have to congratulate you. You made a marvellous success--a marvellous success--last night. Several of the girls in the school have spoken of it, and in particular dear Margaret Grant. I wonder if you would improvise for me some evening?" "Gladly!" replied Betty. And now for one minute her brilliant eyes were raised and fixed on those of Mrs. Haddo. "Gladly," she repeated--and she shivered slightly--"if you will hear me after next Thursday." CHAPTER XIV TEA AT FARMER MILES'S "It's all right, girls!" said Betty in her most joyful tone. "What is all right, Betty and Bess?" asked Sylvia saucily.