‘Poor Val! But I should not have taken her anyway, so that matters the less. I should have taken Jasper, for that would have been more convenient than so many girls. In fact, I did not mean anybody to have heard of it till I had made up my mind, so that there would have been no disappointment; but that naughty Cousin Rotherwood could not keep it to himself; and so, my poor maidens, you have to bear it with a good grace, and to be treated as my confidential friends.’ Mysie smiled and kissed her mother--Gillian cleared somewhat, but observing, ‘I only wish it wasn’t clothes;’ tried to dismiss the subject as the gong began to sound, but Mysie caught her mother’s dress, and said, ‘Mayn’t I tell Fly, for a great secret?’ ‘No, my dear, certainly not. Fly is a dear little girl, but we don’t know how she can keep secrets, and it would never do to let the Rotherwoods know; papa and Uncle William would be exceedingly annoyed. And only think of Miss Hacket’s feelings if it came round. It will be hard enough to get her to take it now.’ ‘Perhaps she won’t,’ flashed into the minds of both girls; but Mysie said entreatingly, ‘One moment more, mamma, please! What can I say to Fly that will be the truth?’ ‘Say that I find we cannot go, and that I had never promised,’ said Lady Merrifield. ‘I trust you, my dears.’ And as she opened the door to hurry down to prayers, the two sisters felt the words very precious and inspiriting. Mysie lingered on the step and bravely asked Gillian whether her eyes looked like crying-- ‘No, only a little twinkly,’ answered the elder sister; ‘they will be all right after prayers if you don’t rub them.’ ‘No, I won’t, said Mysie; “I’ll try to mean ‘Thy will be done.’ For I suppose it is His will, though it is mamma’s.” ‘I’m glad you thought of that, Mysie,’ said Gillian; ‘you see it is mamma’s goodness.’ And Gillian added to herself, “dear little Mysie too. If it had not been for her, I believe I should have ‘grizzled’ all prayer-time, and now I hope I shall attend instead.” When everybody rose up from their knees, Lady Merrifield was glad to see two fairly cheerful faces. She tried to lessen the responsibility of the confidants, and to get the matter settled by telling Lord Rotherwood at once and publicly that she had thought his kind invitation over, and that she found she must not accept it. Perhaps she warily took the moment after she had seen the postman coming up the drive, for he had only time to say, ‘Now, that’s too bad, Lily, you don’t mean it,’ and she to answer, ‘Yes, in sad earnest, I do,’ before the letters came in, and the attention of the elders was taken off by the distribution. But Valetta whispered to Gillian, ‘Not going; oh why?’