ughing between the exercises and the dances, for they took us in
turns--the little ones, like Serena and Maud, who were just beginning,
and the older ones who could dance pretty well, and one or two dances at
the end for the biggest of all or the furthest on ones. Anne and Hebe
were among these, but Hebe danced much better than Anne. Most of the
exercises and the marching we did all together. And the mammas or
governesses sat at the other end of the room from all of us.

There were some children there called Barry that we didn't know except
meeting them there. But I was glad to see them again, because two of
them were boys, one a little older and the other a little younger than
me. And they had a sister who was a twin to the younger one. They were
nice children, and I liked talking to them, and the girl--her name was
Flossy--was nice to dance with. I could manage much better with her than
with our girls somehow.

They put me to dance the polka with Flossy. She's not at all a shy girl,
and I'm not shy either, so we talked a good deal between times, and
after the polka was done we sat down beside Anne and Hebe, and I went on
talking. I was telling Flossy about losing the diamond thing, and she
was _so_ interested. It wasn't a secret, you see. Father said the more
we told it the better; there was no saying how it might be traced
through talking about it.

Only I was sorry for Anne. I had rather forgotten about her when I begun
about it to Flossy, and I hadn't told about Anne's having meddled with
the pin; and when Flossy went on talking, I felt as if Anne would think
me unkind.

But Anne's not like that. She only sat looking very grave, and when I
had answered Flossy's questions, she just said--

[Illustration: 'I'd give anything, I'd almost give myself, to find
it.'--c. iv. p. 48.]

'Isn't it dreadful to have lost it? I'd give anything, I'd almost give
myself, to find it.'

That's the queer sort of way Anne talks sometimes when she's very
tremendously in earnest.

Flossy looked rather surprised.

'What a funny girl you are,' she said. 'I don't think your mother would
agree to give _you_, even to get back her brooch! But, do you know,
there's something running in my head about losings and findings that
I've been hearing. What can it be? Oh yes; it was some of our cousins
yesterday-- Ludo,' and she called her brother, the twin one, 'Ludo, do
you remember what the little Nearns were telling us, about something
th