"Well, papa has inflamed us with a desire to excel in music. It isn’t our fault," said Jean. "And one can’t get short cuts to technique in Ridgetown." "I quite see that your father places many things first which ought to come last," said Aunt Katharine dismally. "Oh, I beg your pardon," she exclaimed, for four girls, even including Jean with her boot bag, had risen at her, "I forgot that I am not allowed free expression in regard to my own brother-in-law." Aunt Katharine could always be expected to give in at this point, but up to it, one was anxious. Cuthbert came down to bid farewell to Jean. "You are a queer old thing," he said to her. "Living in rooms is a mucky business, you know." "Oh, I shall be with twenty other girls," said Jean; "a kind of club, you know. Isobel says it’s lovely. And then we get so _stuck_ here!" Cuthbert admitted that it wasn’t the thing for them all to be cooped up in Ridgetown. "Couldn’t stand it myself, without work," said he. "And then, it’s ripping, of course." It was lovely to have Cuthbert back, and he made a new acquaintance in Isobel. She had been a queer little half-grown thing when he had last seen her. In an indefinite way he did not approve of her, but finding her on terms of such intimacy with every one, he only gave signs of pleasure at meeting her. Elma was in dismay because there were heaps and heaps of things for which she wanted Cuthbert, and he only stayed two days. An idea that he could put a number of crooked things straight, if he remained, made her plead with him to come again. Cuthbert promised in an abstracted manner. "Give me one more year, Elma, and then you may have to kick me out of Ridgetown," he said. "Who knows? At least, I shall make such a try for it, that you may have to kick me out." Everybody nice seemed to be leaving, and Adelaide Maud was away. It was rather trying to Elma that Isobel should about this period insist on visiting at Miss Annie’s. Isobel seemed to be with them on every occasion, from the moment that Jean arranged to go to London. Jean got everything ready to start. With Isobel’s help she engaged her room from particulars sent to her. It was the tiniest in a large house of small rooms, but Jean, rather horrified at a detached sum of money being singled out by her father from the family funds, was determined to make that sum as small as possible. Mr. Leighton saw these preparations being made and was helpful but dismal about them. Mrs. Leighton presented her with a travelling trunk which would cover up and be made a window-seat, no doubt, in that room where the tea parties were to occur. Everything was ready the night before her departure, and exactly at 7.15, when the second dressing bell rang for dinner, as Betty explained afterwards, Jean broke down.