I did wish Mother was there; she’d have made it all nice at once. I remembered though about being the eldest, and I tried to think of the kind of things Mother would have done, so I took Violet’s hand and we went upstairs together. When we got to the schoolroom I sat down in the big armchair and I managed to drag Violet on to my lap, and I took off her boots and hugged her and told Humph to try and get some bread and jam out of cook because that makes you feel a lot less miserable. Violet was still crying, but I sat there, though my arms began to feel as if they’d drop off, when at last she sobbed out, “I thought everybody would be so pleased, and Mother said I was to.” She wouldn’t say anything else but just that over and over again, crying all the time, so, of course, I couldn’t understand, but I just went on kissing her and didn’t talk, like Mother does. It had never been so easy to be nice to Violet before. It seemed a long time before Humph brought the bread and jam, but when he did it was strawberry jam, which was particularly lucky because it’s Violet’s favourite. I told Humph he’d better go away again, and then at last Violet stopped crying, and so I said to her, “But what was it Mother said you were to do?” Violet looked quite surprised, “Why go and call on the Crespignys, of course. She partic’ly said I was to, if my new dress came home.” I nearly let her roll off my lap. She’d almost been doing it the whole time because she’s so fat, but now she nearly went quite because I was so astonished. I’d have thought she was making it up, if it had been one of the others, but Violet never pretends. “How ever did you get there?” I said. I could hardly believe it when she said she’d walked; it’s more than three miles each way, and I don’t think even I have ever walked as far as that. “Weren’t you very frightened?” I asked. I don’t know if I ought to put the next bit, but it truthfully isn’t bragging because it is what Violet answered: “I thought I’d try and be brave like you,” she said. Of course, after that I hugged her again and she went on telling me more. “I _was_ dreadfully frightened when I got to the house and went up the big steps. So I shut my eyes and said, ‘Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,’ and at the Amen I jumped and pulled the bell. It made a dreadfully loud ring and almost at once the door opened and there were two gentlemen with white hair but quite young-looking faces and such pretty clothes. Oh Molly, I shall dress Rhoderigo William Wallace like that with beautiful red plush knickerbockers and----” “Go on,” I said, because I was most interested; it seemed just like in a story.