But Betty was gone. Olive took her hand. "Betty," she said as they walked very quickly towards the other wing of the house, "I like you better in black than in white. Black seems to bring out the wonderful--oh, I don't know what to call it!--the wonderful difference between you and other people." "Don't talk about me now," said Betty. "I am only one, and we shall be seven in a very short time. Seven in one! Isn't it curious? A sort of body composed of seven people!" "There'll be eight before long. The Specialities are going to be the most important people this term, that I am quite sure of," said Olive. "Well, here's Susie's room, and it wants two minutes to eight." Susie greeted her guests with much cordiality. They all found seats. Supper was laid on a round table in one corner of the room. Olive, being an old member, was quite at home, and handed round cups of cocoa and delicious cakes to each of the girls. They ate and chatted, and when Martha West made her appearance there was a shout of welcome from every one. "Hail to the new Speciality!" exclaimed each girl in the room, Betty Vivian alone excepted. Martha was a heavily made girl, with a big, sallow face; quantities of black hair, which grew low on her forehead, and which, as no effort on her part would keep it from falling down on one side, gave her a somewhat untidy appearance; she had heavy brows, too, which were in keeping with the general contour of her face, and rather small gray eyes. There was no one, however, in the whole school who was better loved than Martha West. Big and ungainly though she was, her voice was one of the sweetest imaginable. She had also great force of character, and was regarded as one of the strong girls of the school. She was always helping others, was the soul of unselfishness, and although not exactly clever, was plodding and persevering. She was absolutely without self-consciousness; and when her companions welcomed her in this cheery manner she smiled broadly, showing a row of pearly white teeth, and then sat down on the nearest chair. When supper was over, Margaret Grant came forward and stood by the little center-table, on which lay the vellum-bound book of the rules of the club. Margaret opened it with great solemnity, and called to Betty Vivian to stand up. "Betty Vivian," she said, "we agreed a week ago to-day to admit you to the full membership of a Speciality. According to our usual custom, we sent you a copy of the rules in order that you might study them in their fullness. We now ask you if you have done so?" "I have," replied Betty. "I have read them, I should think, thirty or forty times." "Are you prepared, Betty Vivian, to accept our rules and become a member of the Specialities, or do you prefer your full liberty and to return to the ordinary routine of the school? We, none of us, wish you to adopt the rules as part of your daily life unless you are prepared to keep them in their entirety."