And as the two girls hastened off, the words the grateful old woman had repeated reverently, as they bade her "good-bye," rang in Elsa’s ears like a benediction: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these ... ye have done it unto ME." But Amethyst’s thoughts were in quite another direction. "It must be awfully late, Elsa," she said, as they hurried along the quiet road which skirted the copse, and which would bring them eventually to West Lane, where they had arranged to meet the others. "We were ages getting there." "Yes, I suppose it is," replied Elsa, coming back to the present moment with a start; "why, now I remember it, the grandfather’s clock in Mrs. Hodges’ room was nearly three o’clock." "Good gracious!" cried Amethyst. "I never noticed it; let’s hope it was fast. But, anyhow, we shall have a business to reach the white gate in time;" and they quickened their footsteps into a run. At length the trysting place was reached, and they were glad to find that they were the first on the spot. "Now we can have a rest and get back our breath," said Amethyst, as they perched themselves on the white gate, and fanned their flushed faces with their straw hats. "Oh, I say, how hot and tired I am!" "I do wish we knew what the time was," said Elsa, who looked rather worried. "Yes, it’s a great bother not having a watch, but I’m to have one next Christmas, so there’s not very much longer to wait;" and Amethyst heaved a little sigh of satisfaction. Then she jumped off the gate and ran into the road, as she heard footsteps approaching, expecting it to be the other two girls, but it was only a nurse pushing a baby in a mail cart. "Do you think she’d know the time, Elsa?" she said, as she ran back to the gate. "You might ask her," replied the elder girl. The next moment Amethyst returned with a look of incredulous horror on her little flushed face. "It’s actually four o’clock, Elsa! What _shall_ we do?" With a spring, Elsa was on the ground beside her, and the two girls gazed at each other in consternation. "Why, they said they would not wait after half-past three, and they must have gone long before we came, and here we have been waiting ever so long for them. Oh, it is _too_ bad!" cried Amethyst, nearly in tears. "That clock must have been dreadfully slow," said Elsa. "Perhaps it was not even going. But cheer up, Thistle, we can get to Carson Rise in less than half an hour from here, and we shall be in time for tea. It wasn’t our fault, dear; we couldn’t help it, if we are late." "I don’t half like going by ourselves," said Amethyst, as they hurried along the hot, dusty road towards Mydenham; "you see, I’ve never been there yet." "Oh! it will be all right," returned Elsa consolingly. "Mrs. Beauchamp is very kind, really, although Monica thinks she is strict. She will understand when we explain. I daresay the other two had only just left when we arrived." *CHAPTER IX.*