The trio halted now on the threshold in open astonishment. "What have you been doing to your room, Miss Alden?" Winifred demanded abruptly. "For a Freshman you showed most unusual taste, and you had about the prettiest den out, but now--pardon me if I ask why this thusness? It is quite too awful." Dolly carefully refrained from looking at her room-mate. Miss Paterson was certainly frank to the verge of rudeness. "Pray have some seats, most august Sophomores. You see that red is more serviceable than pink, and in view of the fact that we are liable to have numerous visits from those who were Freshmen last year, and who of course do not know how to treat delicate things with proper respect--" "Well, let me tell you one thing," Miss Graves interrupted, "you will be troubled with precious few calls from anyone if you intend to make this a permanent thing." Dolly's cheeks flushed. She must stop them at any cost. Despite her own annoyance, she could not help feeling sorry for Miss Sutherland, who evidently thought that she had made the room charming. She turned to introduce her, but she was only in time to see her vanish into her own bedroom. Dolly's quick ears caught the sound of a sob as the door closed. She forgot her own anger of an hour before and turned wrathfully on her guests. "Commend me to Sophomores for superlative rudeness and a total disregard of the feelings of others. These articles belong to my room-mate. She just came. She hasn't met any of the girls yet, and you have given her a beautiful welcome, haven't you?" Dolly's cheeks burned like coals of fire. She spoke in a low tone so that her words should not be heard in the adjoining room, but every syllable was vibrant with feeling. The Sophomores looked ashamed. "Bring her out and let me apologize," begged Winifred. "And make a bad matter worse? Not much. We will all go out for a walk until dinner-time. I hope," added Dolly, severely, "that when I become a Sophomore I shall not forget all my manners." "Come, my dear, cool down," Charlotte Graves said languidly, putting her own arm through Dolly's. "It strikes me that you have forgotten your manners already to talk so to your own guests." There was a ripple of laughter at this, and Dolly looked a trifle shamefaced. "I was making general remarks," she said loftily. "Come on, we shall forgive you this once, and Winifred shall eat humble-pie for your room-mate's benefit at the first opportunity. As class president I decree it." There by tacit consent, the subject dropped. The girls had a pleasant walk, and when the dinner-gong sounded, Dolly hurried up to her room; she knew that she would not find her room-mate very congenial, but at least she would not be so selfish as to let Miss Sutherland go down to the dining-room alone, on this first night. As she opened the door of their common sitting-room she stopped in amazement. CHAPTER III