"Humph!--there's a great many queer things, if you come to that," said Mr. Van Brunt philosophically. But Ellen's head ran on from one thing to another, and her next question was not so wide of the subject as her companion might have thought. "Mr. Van Brunt, are there any schools about here?" "Schools?" said the person addressed. "Yes, there's plenty of schools." "Good ones?" said Ellen. "Well, I don't exactly know about that. There's Captain Conklin's. That had ought to be a good 'un. He's a regular smart man, they say." "Whereabouts is that?" said Ellen. "His school? It's a mile or so the other side of my house." "And how far is it from your house to Aunt Fortune's?" "A good deal better than two mile, but we'll be there before long. You ain't tired, be you?" "No," said Ellen. But this reminder gave a new turn to her thoughts, and her spirits were suddenly checked. Her former brisk and springing step changed to so slow and lagging a one that Mr. Van Brunt more than once repeated his remark that he saw she was tired. If it was that, Ellen grew tired very fast. She lagged more and more as they neared the house, and at last quite fell behind, and allowed Mr. Van Brunt to go in first. Miss Fortune was busy about the breakfast, and as Mr. Van Brunt afterwards described it, "looking as if she could have bitten off a tenpenny nail," and indeed as if the operation would have been rather gratifying than otherwise. She gave them no notice at first, bustling to and fro with great energy, but all of a sudden she brought up directly in front of Ellen, and said-- "Why didn't you come home last night?" The words were jerked out rather than spoken. "I got wet in the brook," said Ellen, "and Mrs. Van Brunt was so kind as to keep me." "Which way did you go out of the house yesterday?" "Through the front door." "The front door was locked." "I unlocked it." "What did you go out that way for?" "I didn't want to come this way." "Why not?" Ellen hesitated. "Why not?" demanded Miss Fortune, still more emphatically than before. "I didn't want to see you, ma'am," said Ellen, flushing. "If ever you do so again!" said Miss Fortune in a kind of cold fury. "I've a great mind to whip you for this, as ever I had to eat." The flush faded on Ellen's cheek, and a shiver visibly passed over her--not from fear. She stood with downcast eyes and compressed lips, a certain instinct of childish dignity warning her to be silent. Mr. Van Brunt put himself in between. "Come, come!" said he, "this is getting to be too much of a good thing. Beat your cream, ma'am, as much as you like, or if you want to try your hand on something else you'll have to take me first, I promise you." "Now don't _you_ meddle, Van Brunt," said the lady sharply, "with what ain't no business o' yourn."