"Oh--you wicked Brenda!" said Fanchon--"you intolerably wicked woman! Nina talked to father yesterday, and father told her that he gave you three pounds for each of us, in order to clothe us for the seaside. So you have still in your possession seven pounds, sixteen shillings, and eleven-pence of our money. It's my belief that you have spent it on your own clothes! There--you can't deny it--we know what the things you bought cost--the miserable--horrid--_mean_ things you bought! and we know what poor papa gave you, for he told Nina and afterwards I went and asked him and he told me too." "And does he--does he know--anything else?" asked Brenda. "Nothing else at present, but he will soon." Brenda lay very still and thoughtful on her bed. After a minute she said: "Fanchon--you are quite mistaken in me." "I know you thoroughly," said Fanchon; "I always believed you to be intensely conceited, frightfully--appallingly vain, and--not too honourable. But now I also know that you are nothing more nor less than a common thief! How long do you think father would keep you in the house if he knew?" "But--he doesn't know, dear, dear Fanchon!" "Not yet. We thought we'd tell you first--it seemed only fair to give you that chance." "How sweet of you, Fanchon." "But I have told you now, and I shall go straight to him this very minute and show him this little sum unless you confess the truth to me." "I--I--" said Brenda--"what truth?" "Have you got seven pounds, sixteen shillings, and eleven-pence of our money in your possession? If you say no--I go immediately to father. If you say yes--why, perhaps I will wait an hour or so." Brenda almost smiled when Fanchon made use of the last words. "Then," she said in a gentle tone, "I have still got the money, for you--for you. I thought we could spend it best at Marshlands-on-the-Sea." "Oh, no, you didn't," said Fanchon--"those sort of lies won't go down any longer with us. But as you have made a sort of confession, you may dress yourself. You won't grumble, I think, when you come downstairs and enjoy our good dinner, and after dinner I'll have another talk with you. It is my turn to dictate terms now, and I mean to enjoy myself." With this last remark Fanchon marched out of the room, wrenching the door open noisily and banging it after her. Her two little sisters were waiting on the landing. "The cat has confessed," she said, "and so the poor little mice may play as much as they like. Not a word to dad--we'd have no fun if he knew-- we can do exactly what we like with her now." Josephine clapped her hands. Nina enquired if the ducks and green peas and raspberry and currant tart, with unlimited cream, had been mentioned. "Oh, yes; and we shall enjoy our dinner--poor starved creatures," said Fanchon.