"We must not laugh at her," said Patience; "we must be very careful about her. I wonder at what end of the dormitory she will sleep?" "There is an empty bed at the far end near me," said Harriet Lane. "Oh, she won't be put there, Harry; don't you make any mistake," said Jane Bush. "She is going to be petted and fussed over--I can see that. I know quite well what will happen. She will have the centre bed under the window--that's the nicest bed of all. You're in it now, Rose." Here Jane laughed. "Well, you'll have to turn out; the bird will want it; see if I am not right." "Don't be nasty," said Rose. "If I have to turn out, I don't mind, not one bit. Poor little thing! She has never been at school before, and she is twelve years old. It's rather nice to have the charge of her; don't you think so, girls?" "Yes," said they all, except Harriet and Jane. "I do wonder what she will be like?" said Cecil Amberley. "I know," cried Harriet. "You mark my words, girls." Here she pushed herself forward in a silly, aggravating way she had. "You mark my words. There is something queer about that Robina. Why should we receive her in the sort of manner Mrs Burton seems to expect? Why should we be so precious good to her? She must be a weakling; perhaps she is deformed, or has a squint." "Oh! Harriet, you don't think so!" said Vivian Amberley, the youngest of the four sisters, and in consequence the most petted. "I can't bear girls with squints," she added. "But that would be better than having a hunchback," said Jane. "She is sure to have something," continued Harriet. "It may not be either of these, but something. She is small, and ugly, and frightened--that I am certain of. Oh, of course we'll have to be good to her; but at the same time, what I say is this, girls: we'll have to let that young 'un know at once that she is not to have her own way about everything." "There is something in what you say," remarked Patience Chetwold; "and although I never quite care for your sort of tone, Harriet, yet I think, too, we must not let the girl rule us all. She won't love us a bit if we spoil her." "Of course she won't," said Frederica. "Well, I am going to spoil her," said Rose; "and I know for certain she is not a bit like what you say, you horrid thing," and she darted an angry glance at Harriet Lane. "She has a very pretty name, to begin with, and I am certain she is just a dear." "Don't let's quarrel about her," said Jane. "So far we are not a quarrelling lot. It would be too bad if that Robina started quarrelling in the school." "Oh, I say, girls, there's the bell! Let's go in. Let's race to the door. Who'll be first?" "I say!" cried Harriet. "Who'll follow? Come along, Jane Bush!"