"That's just splendid," she said to herself, surveying the pile of assorted notepaper, "perfect." "I say, Bess, are you going to give a party?" asked her brother, happening to catch sight of the notes. "Yes." "When?" "I'll tell you when it's all over." At 2.45 on Sunday afternoon twelve girls met round the market-pump, each greatly surprised to see all the others. "I came here to meet Bessie Marchant," said one. "And so did I," said another. "And so did I," said they all; and then they all laughed, for they were a good-natured set of girls. "We'll make her answer for this when she turns up," said some of them. "What do you mean by this, Miss Bessie Marchant?" three or four called out all at once when at last she made her appearance puffing and blowing through hurrying. "Dreadfully sorry, girls, to be so late; really couldn't help it. Mean?" looking ever so solemnly sweet, "mean? You were all such dears I couldn't leave one of you out," and taking hold of the two girls she had the least confidence in marched off, all the others following. She told the whole story the same evening to Nanna, alone. "You would have died of laughing if you'd seen the faces of those girls as they cuddled round that pump, that you would. Some were hanging on to the handle, they felt that took back like. But I got them all to the meeting." "But what did you do it for?" "That's just what they wanted to know, and not one guessed. I told them after they came out, though." "Well, what was your reason?" "To pay that man out, of course. He pretended he wanted the class for himself, and I thought at least for one Sunday he shouldn't have that pleasure. It was splendid fun just to picture how he would look when he went into the room and found no one there. It did tickle the girls, I can tell you." "But you don't mean to say you told them all that!" "Of course I did. I was obliged to tell them how he had refused Mrs. Waring's offer, and so I explained to them how just for once I had paid him out." "And don't you suppose they will go and tell him what you have said?" "Some will, no doubt; but others are as cross as I am about it." "Oh, Bessie, Bessie, when will you learn wisdom!" exclaimed Mrs. Colston, in a very troubled voice. "What have I done wrong now, I should like to know? You don't mean to say you're cross with me?" "You have made that man more than ever the mistress's enemy. You have thrown a stone into the waters; you can never tell where its ripples will reach to. He may be a Christian. I don't know, but after the trick you have paid him he will dislike and mistrust Mrs. Waring more than ever. You may have done your dear friend a great unkindness, for if he's got any unsubdued malice in him he'll show it some day towards her; you'll see." "Mrs. Colston!" exclaimed Bessie, "you fairly take away my breath. I declare life is too much for me!"