So Frederica went slowly upstairs, believing herself to be very unhappy, little thinking how much more unhappy she was to be before she came down again. Eppie was not in her room, which was an unusual circumstance at that hour of the afternoon, and Frederica set down the tiny basket of strawberries on the table, and went to her favourite seat in the west window, with her lesson-book in her hand. In a little while she heard the slow, unequal steps of Eppie on the stairs, and saw her come in with a great bundle in her arms, and watched her as she carefully laid each garment in its place. She did not speak, and in a minute there were other footsteps on the stairs, and Mrs Glencairn came into the room. Frederica ought to have spoken then. She ought to have made them aware of her presence in the room. But almost the first words she heard startled her so much, as to take away her power of speech, and to make her forget how wrong it was for her to listen to that which was not meant for her ears. She did not hear all that was said, nor did she know how long it had taken to say it, but when she saw the door close, and heard Mrs Glencairn's footsteps going slowly down the stairs, she slid from her seat on the window, and confronted Eppie with a white face and angry eyes. The old woman uttered an exclamation, and drew back with uplifted hands. "Tell me what she meant, Eppie." "Miss Frederica! Who would think that you would come and frighten a body out of their wits in that wild way? You have given me a turn that I winna get over this while." "Tell me what she said," repeated Frederica. But Eppie, hoping that she might have heard little, had no mind to tell her what her mistress had said. "I would hae thought it o' any o' our young leddies rather than of you, pussy. Eh, fie! to be hearkening to what other folk are saying! What think you Miss Robina would say gin I were to tell her?" But Frederica put her words aside with an impatient gesture. "Tell me, or I will go to Mrs Glencairn." "'Deed you'll do nothing of the kind. She has had trouble enew already, and it just needs you to go with thae bleezing een o' yours to upset her altogether. Bide still where you are, like a good bairn." Frederica sat down, and neither of them spoke for a while. "Eppie," said she at last, "I think I understand, but I am not quite sure. Tell me, so that I need not make a mistake, or bring any one into trouble." "Whisht, lassie! It's a matter you hae nothing to do with, and I counsel you no' to make nor meddle in it." "You are mistaken, Eppie; there is no one but me to put this right, unless mama is to be troubled. And she shall not be troubled. Is this it? For more than a year and a half Mrs Glencairn has received nothing--absolutely nothing--for all that she has done for Tessie and me. She has asked for it more than once, but she has received nothing. I wish to understand."