Margaret refrained from following them, to avoid hearing their confidences, and still bewildered by the discovery of this new addition to the family, which might mean further problems for herself, with a little sigh of relief picked up a book and made her way to a quiet cosy seat in the drawing-room. CHAPTER III TRIALS Ellice Medhurst was full of mystery and excitement as she dragged Bob towards the staircase, anxious to escape observation, leading him to the seclusion of the schoolroom, where they could talk undisturbedly of the new inmate of Oaklands, who had arrived there since Bob's last week-end at home. "Oh, I say, I _do_ detest her," said Ellice, as she sprang on to the table, placing her feet upon a chair and her face in her hands supported by her arms, her elbows resting upon her knees. "She _looks_ pretty decent," remarked Bob; "she is a sight better than the one who has just gone. I say, what a shock I gave _her_, didn't I? She howled like a hyena." A shout of laughter rippled from his small sister as a memory, mutually considered humorous, roused this expression of mirth. "I can see her _now_ dancing about, and shrieking, 'Help!--Help!--Burglars!' as if she was being killed," continued Bob, spluttering with amusement. "And when--you--came--and offered to call father," put in Ellice--"saying, 'What's all this? Whatever is the matter?' I just rushed back into my room and buried my head in the pillows for fear she'd hear me laughing, and guess. Just fancy, Bob, if she had? Wouldn't daddy have been angry?" And as she finished, a more sober expression came upon her face as she pictured unpleasant possibilities. "If you don't act the little idiot by laughing, no one will guess," answered the boy. "I won't--I promise I won't," she answered. "But I say, do you _want_ this one to go?" continued Bob. "Of course I do. I don't mean to have a governess at all; I said I wouldn't, and I _won't_." "Well, you are a bit of a fool. Nice dunce you'll be when you grow up," came the brotherly response. "I shan't," flashed Ellice. "I can read all right, and when I get older I'll just study, myself. What's the use of all the silly old arithmetic and stuff?" "Very well, only don't blame me when you _are_ grown up," answered Bob loftily. "As if I should. Come on; let's fix things," and, creeping softly out on to the landing, and reconnoitring on the staircase, the two stole up to Miss Woodford's room. Ellice kept guard outside, while Bob evidently fixed matters to their mutual satisfaction. It only took a few moments, and the culprits were back again in their own quarters, their plans duly arranged. Ellice was wild with delight at the prospect of anticipated fun, as she called it; but in the back of Bob's head there was a little sense of doubt and discomfort. "She seemed so jolly decent," he muttered to himself; "I hope she won't be awfully frightened. I think you are a little beast to do it to her, Ellice."