"Dear Miss Donnithorne," she said. "And is this Dumps?" I could not feel indignant, even though I resented being called Dumps by a total stranger, for Hermione's eyes had a sort of pleading expression in them, and she seemed sorry the moment she had said the word. "Of course I ought to call you Miss Grant," she said. "No, no," I answered; "I am Rachel Grant. Nobody in all the world ever yet called me Miss Grant." "Is the carriage waiting, Hermione?" said Miss Donnithorne. "It is cold here in the porch." "Yes," replied Hermione. "And father and mother have not come. Father would have had to walk back, for we could not all go in the carriage, and so mother decided to stay with him. Father has a cough--not much-- nothing to speak of." "Come then, dear, we will go at once," said Miss Donnithorne. She got into the carriage first; then I was desired to step in, and notwithstanding my smart dress, I am afraid I was very awkward as I got into that carriage. Miss Donnithorne and I had the seat facing the horses, and Hermione sat opposite to us. It seemed to me as though we flew over the country; the whole feeling was too delicious--the softly padded cushions, the rhythmic beat of the horses' feet. The girl who was not fortunate enough to possess a father like Professor Grant had some compensations! Such a carriage! Such a nice face! The girl herself impressed me in the most marvellous way. As to the dreadful Swans, I am afraid I gave them anything but kind thoughts at that moment. By-and-by we got to the house. Then Hermione took possession of me. "You are my guest," she said. "Come up and I'll show you my room." We ran upstairs together. I was feeling so very good that I did not think for a moment that anything but good could befall me during that delightful visit. Hermione took me first to her bedroom, and then into a little sitting-room which opened out of it. "I do my lessons here," she said, "and read here, and entertain my friends. I haven't many friends. I cannot tell you how interested I was at the thought of your coming to-day." "Were you indeed?" I answered. I wondered what she would have thought if I had come to visit her in the brown skirt and red blouse. "You must take off your pretty jacket," she said. "What a sweet frock that is! In what shop did you buy it?" "I didn't buy it at all," I said. I felt my cheeks crimsoning. There was a kind of naughty pride in me that would not tell her the truth that Miss Donnithorne had given it to me. "I suppose your governess, or whoever takes care of you, arranges your clothes," said Hermione in a careless tone. "Well, it is sweetly pretty, and so becoming! And what nice hair you have!" "Nice hair?" I responded. "Why, of course it is nice; it is so thick and such a good colour. It will look very handsome when you have it arranged in the grown-up style."