"Will you take us for a walk this afternoon, Miss Bligh?" asked Sophy, at schoolroom breakfast on Sunday. "Because Garrett says mamma's not well to-day, and we'd better not go near her--she's going to stay in her own room till tea-time." "Of course I will, dears," said Suzette Bligh. "Oh, there's nothing the matter with mamma, really," declared Lucy--"only she's in an awful fury. I met Garrett coming out of her room, and she looked frightened to death." "Ah, but you don't know why!" piped up Vera's youthful voice in accents of triumph. "I do! I was in the hall, just behind the curtain of the archway, and I heard Peters tell the new footman. Papa was expected last night, and mamma had left orders that she should be told when he came in. But he didn't----" "We know all that, Vera," Sophy interrupted contemptuously. "He sent word that he'd been called out of town and wouldn't be back till Monday." "And the message didn't get here till twelve o'clock. Fancy, Miss Bligh!" "Well, I'm glad you're going to take us to church, and not mamma, Miss Bligh." "I hope she won't send for any of us about anything!" "I hope she won't send for me, anyhow," said Vera, "because I haven't done my French, and----" "Then I shouldn't like to be you if you have to go to her," said Lucy, in a manner far from comforting. Lady Harriet was by way of teaching the children French, and had not endeared the language to them. "I wonder what called papa away!" mused Sophy. "Now, Sophy, that's no business of yours," said poor Suzette, endeavouring to do good. "You've no business to----" "Well, I don't see any harm in it, Miss Bligh. Papa's always being called away now." "Especially when mamma's----" "I can't listen to any more, dears. Does the vicar or the curate preach in the morning, Lucy dear?" "Don't know, Miss Bligh. I say, Vera, suppose you go and ask mamma to let us have some of that strawberry jam at tea." "Yes, let's make her go," Sophy chimed in gleefully. "You may do anything you like," declared Vera, "but you can't make me go--not if you kill me, you can't!" The two elder girls giggled merrily at her panic.