"Do you think mother, or father, or I? Now, who do you think does? I should be interested to know your thoughts." "I cannot really tell you, Miss Lewis." "Oh, it does sound fine to hear you Miss Lewising me. My name is Carrie." "I prefer to call you Miss Lewis." "Highty! tighty! we are haughty. Well, the person who pays for Elma is our Aunt Charlotte--a certain Mrs. Steward, wife of the Reverend John Steward, rector of St. Bartholomew's, Buckinghamshire. There's a grand enough name for you; and I suppose, being a clergyman, you'll consider that he is a gentleman and that his wife is a lady. Aunt Charlotte happens to be own sister to mother; and when Elma made her little complaint to her she took pity on her; and now she pays all her expenses at Middleton School. And if Elma does well and nothing disagreeable comes to Aunt Charlotte's ears, she will send her presently to Newnham or Girton. Think of that I Elma will be a college girl; she will be an undergraduate of one of the universities--and some day a graduate; and then she will get a first-class post as high-school mistress, or mistress of something or other. But if you tell on her and make things bad, and the truth gets out--You look pale; are you ill?" "I am all right," said Kitty. She staggered across the room and poured some water into a glass. "I did not eat much lunch," she continued; "and I am--Never mind; go on." "Well," continued Carrie, "if nothing comes to Aunt Charlotte's ears to turn her mind the other way, Elma will be all right; she will move in your sphere--yes, she will, whether you like it or not. She is just so clever she is able to do anything. So I have come to say that I hope to goodness you won't split on her, for it would be mighty cruel of you. You would ruin her for life, and that would be a nice consolation for you when you came to die. She did not steal your money, remember; you gave it to her." "I lent it to her." "Oh, how you will harp upon that! But you didn't tell her to a day when she was to pay it back again." "No, I certainly did not; but, of course, I expected that she would return it to me when I asked for it; and then she spent it on dress." "Spent it on dress? What do you mean?" "She told me so." "Oh, naughty, naughty little Elma!" said Carrie, shaking her forefinger in a very knowing manner "She didn't like to tell about Sam, and so she made up that story, did she? Well, it was an untruth. She didn't spend that money on dress; she--well, I will tell you--I stole it from her." "You!" gasped Kitty, backing away in horror. "Yes. Good gracious! how scared you are! You don't understand the larks of girls like me. I didn't mean any harm. I took it and gave it to Sam to keep for her." "Then," said Kitty, coming close up to Carrie, her lips parted, the color flooding her cheeks, her eyes full of light, "then, of course, you, Carrie----" "Oh, I'm Carrie now, am I?" "Yes, you are; but never mind. Then, you, Carrie, can get it back for me?"