Pauline was watching Rose’s face curiously. She did not feel any interest in Cousin Lydia and her husband, but she could not understand Rose’s change of attitude towards Rhoda Sampson. One explanation occurred to her--a delightful one. Had Rose made up her mind to spend the summer in London with her? Was this the reason she felt glad that her aunt had someone she liked to take her place? “Well, as I said before, Rosie, I am grateful to Miss Rhoda Sampson,” she said laughingly. “If she was not at Woodcote, you would not be here. And I shall get more and more grateful to her as the weeks go on. I may get to love her in time, if she enables us to spend the summer together. You are quite happy about your aunt now, aren’t you, my Rose?” Rose looked aghast at the prospect of spending the whole summer in the flat. She hardly knew how she was to endure it till June. “I must go home in June, Pauline,” she said hastily. “I couldn’t stay longer than that.” “Well, we shall see,” said Pauline gaily. “You won’t talk so lightly about going back when you have had a few more weeks of freedom, Rose. And if your aunt is so well provided for, there will be no need for you to go back. You won’t be wanted.” “Oh yes, I shall be,” Rose answered, with a swelling heart. Tom had made her feel sure of that. “Pauline, please don’t think about my staying here after June. I can’t stay. I want to go home.” “You haven’t forgiven me for that wretched concert!” Pauline exclaimed. “I haven’t thought of it again. It isn’t that, Pauline. How could it be? But I want to go home.” “You will be miserable, just as you were before. Remember how you talked to me. You were bored to death.” Rose flushed scarlet. “I wasn’t. Or if I was, I don’t mean to be so silly again.” Pauline looked at her with an angry glance. “You are a homesick baby, Rose, that is the long and short of it. I gave you credit for being grown-up. It was a mistake you coming here at all. Clare didn’t get homesick.” “Clare had her work,” answered Rose, knitting her pretty brows and looking miserably at Pauline’s angry face. “I am doing nothing I couldn’t do as well at home. I could come up once a week for lessons. Pauline, don’t be angry. You didn’t really think I should stay on after June, did you?” “I gave you credit for meaning what you said,” returned Pauline harshly. “And what you said was true. You were not happy at home. If you go back, you will get bored and unhappy again.” Rose shook her head. She had had a sharp lesson. She knew what the freedom was worth that Pauline had offered her. She longed to take up again the little daily cares that had filled her life at home. And she longed to get away from Pauline. She was beginning to feel that she had never really known her till now.