“Oh, yes, that I will, Miss Goldsborough. I am so glad you wrote the answer to his letter. He will be delighted to get it,” replied little Julia, hiding the letter in her bosom. These two could not remain long together. Their interview was altogether against the rules of the school, where the elder and the younger pupils were not allowed to associate, except in the presence of their teachers. Now, as soon as the affair that had brought them together was thus far concluded, they separated, the cold Alberta warming with gratitude enough to stoop and kiss her ardent little friend before leaving her. Alberta returned to her own room. And when the inspecting sister came around she found the two pupils diligently practicing at their respective pianos. When the hours for study were over for that afternoon, and the day pupils were dismissed, little Julia hurried away to deliver the letter to its destination. Alberta, in furtherance of her plan of escape, went to the large apartment known as the recreation-room, where the boarding pupils always spent their play time in bad weather. The windows on one side of this apartment overlooked the north road, where she had warned Vittorio to be upon his post. When she entered this room she found many of her schoolmates assembled, and the question, “What shall we play?” eagerly discussed among them. “I will tell you,” said Alberta. “What? what?” demanded the girls, pressing around her in much surprise that the still, proud Miss Goldsborough should move in any play. “Hide and seek. It is a fine, exhilarating play for a cold winter afternoon,” said Alberta. “Yes, that will be just the thing,” replied the girls. To the ever-increasing astonishment of her companions, Miss Goldsborough engaged eagerly in the play, but not successfully at first, for she caught no one. At length, however, when the afternoon deepened into night, and the gas was lighted, and the snow was falling very fast, Alberta succeeded in finding the hider. Then it was her turn to hide. “Now, mind,” she said, addressing her companions, “you must act fairly, and go quite out of sight, and refrain from watching me. I mean to hide where none of you have hidden before. You will have great difficulty in finding me, but I assure you it will be good fun when you do find me. Don’t come back until I call ‘Whoop!’” “No, no, we won’t, Alberta!” exclaimed several of her companions in a breath. And they all hurried out into the passage.