Jane gave utterance to a very quick sigh. Vivian was perhaps the girl in the third form who had the weakest character. She was not like her two elder sisters: she could be very good with good girls and quite naughty with girls who were not good. Jane had always known this fact, and had always been terribly afraid that Harriet would make use of Vivian, and turn her to her own purposes. In that case, of course, Harriet would never speak to poor Jane again; and Jane did care for her and could be intensely jealous about her. So now she said:-- "I know you are very clever, Harriet, and I suppose you do know best; only I wish that little voice inside of me wouldn't talk so loud. It keeps me awake at nights, and I get frightened; but if you really, really think--" "I think nothing!" said Harriet crossly. "Please yourself. Vivian will help me, if you won't. I will know what you have done by Monday morning. You can do exactly as you please; and now don't keep me, for I have got to finish learning my piece to recite on Sunday afternoon." Book 1--CHAPTER SIX. BEGUILED BY PROMISES. There was no doubt that Harriet was clever, but even she felt a little nervous when she went into Ralph's bedroom to awaken him on Saturday morning. Ralph had a sweet little room to sleep in. It opened into Miss Ford's, but the door between the two was shut; for Ralph's whole endeavour was to be a very manly boy, and manly boys always liked best to sleep alone. He looked very pretty indeed, now, in his sleep, his mop of brown curls pushed back from his forehead, the long black lashes lying like a cloud on his rounded cheeks; his red, red lips slightly parted, a smile on his little face. But Harriet saw no beauty in the sleeping boy. "Little tiresome thing!" she murmured under her breath. "If it wasn't for that pony and my determination to win the prize over Robina, wouldn't I give him a time to-day!" But the pony was worth winning, and Harriet was clever. She bent down over Ralph, and touched him gently on his arm. He woke with a start, looked at Harriet, coloured brightly, and then said:-- "What's up?" "Time for you to rise," said Harriet. "I am your school-mother for to-day." "Oh," said Ralph. His face turned a little pale, but he did not start. "You can lie in bed as long as ever you like," said Harriet; "I don't care; I'm not going to tell on you; you may be as naughty as you please to-day--you needn't do any single thing except just what you like." "Needn't I, really?" said the boy. "Of course, you needn't," said Harriet. "Why should you bother to be good?" "But Father likes me to be good," said Ralph; "and--and--Mrs Burton does. I love Mrs Burton, don't you?" Harriet longed to say "No," but, shutting up her lips, she nodded her head. "You are the girl who was so horrid and rude to me the other day," said Ralph; "you slapped me on my cheek." "And you beat me," said Harriet. Ralph's eyes began to twinkle.