“What do you suppose they’ll do, Hilary?” Cathalina looked excited and interested. “Haven’t the least idea. Maybe it will all fall through. Girls are like that sometimes.” “Not these girls. They have been here, you know, and can think of things. Ann Maria is like that, into all the fun going on.” “Who is Ann Maria,—cute name.” “She is my cousin, about my brother’s age and has been to boarding school for several years, in the East. You ought to hear her and my brother tell about their schools! Well, we shall see—” “What we shall see!” finished Hilary. CHAPTER VIII CONSPIRATORS Suite No. 59 was “seething with conspiracy”, as Betty Barnes declared. “No, thank you, I haven’t time to come in, or to be a Catiline.” Upon which Virginia Morris, also of the Cicero class, appropriately cried, “How long, O Carver, will you abuse our patience?” “O tempora, O mores!” added Lilian North. “Mercy, Lil, you don’t mean to say you remember that!” “Only that. I recognized it when I found it. It is a pet expression of my father’s. Why didn’t you ask Hilary to come in?” “Nothing doing,” replied slangy little Isabel Hunt. She it was whom Cathalina had seen as the small cyclone whirling past on that first day. “Hilary wouldn’t do it.” “We’re not going to do anything bad,” said Eloise. “No, but I think her little conscience would hurt her.” “And why not Cathalina, then?” “O, she’s too high and mighty, and besides she’s only in the beginning Latin class.” “So are you,” Eloise and Lilian, who were high-minded girls, did not much relish the implication that Hilary and Cathalina would not consider this an exactly noble undertaking. Isabel laughed. “That’s so, but I am a ‘bold spirit, my hearties’!” “Well, what are we going to do?” asked Lilian. Diane pretended to tear her hair. “I’ve thought of several schemes that we might try, nothing very smart, but she’s new here and we might have some fun out of it.” This was from Virginia. So with gigglings and whisperings and putting together of heads bright and mischievous, they laid their plans for a trick or two. “I’ll be on hand,” said Isabel, “if it takes days, because we want to try this first, as it, ladies and gentlemen, is the one which will do _us_ the most good. And now it all depends on a closed door!” “It does,” replied Virginia, with which mysterious saying, all the conspirators save the hostesses took their departure. For several days after this meeting, about ten minutes before the time for the Cicero class, Isabel Hunt, books under her arm, as if on her way to some class, would stroll carelessly by Dr. Carver’s door. At last there came a day when it was closed. Turning, Isabel waved wildly at Diane, who was also coming early and was just within the outside door at the end of the hall in “Randolph,” first floor.