and of brave men and brave
women, and I will not have it run down by _any_ impudent English girl.
I've got so many other English girls coming to the school that the loss
of you four won't affect me much, Leucha Villiers.'

This was taking matters with a very high hand, and Leucha, who had no
great moral strength, was thoroughly subdued.

'I didn't mean to be rude to you, of course, dear Mrs Macintyre,' she
said, nudging her cousins as she spoke. 'I only said I did not like
that black-eyed girl. She's frightfully wild and rude, and I'm
accustomed to girls of a different type. Naturally indeed, being born
as I am. However, I ask now for permission to use the Summer Parlour.
Do you refuse it?'

'If you don't want it for hatching plots or anything of that kind,'
said Mrs Macintyre, 'you English girls can have it till Saturday--no
longer, remember; and as the weather is turning very cold, you must pay
for your own fire, and, what's more, light it. For all my maids have
plenty of work to do in the house. Now, then, are you satisfied? The
Summer Parlour will be yours, beginning from to-day.'

'Thank you, Mrs Macintyre; we are quite satisfied,' said Leucha, who
knew well how furious her mother would be were she removed from
Ardshiel, which, as the former home of _kings_, was considered most
distinguished.

The girls went off quite mildly and gently. The day was drawing toward
evening. Their idea was to light a great fire in the Parlour, and then
go into the house for tea; after which they would prepare their
lessons, and then go back in a body to the Parlour to discuss the
enormities of that wicked girl who called herself Hollyhock. But,
alack and alas! the daughter of the Earl of Crossways and the daughters
of the Marquis of Killin had never lit a fire in their lives, and did
not know in the least how to set about it. They were not particularly
strong girls, and did not wish to sit in the Summer Parlour hatching
mischief against their schoolfellow without the comfort of a glowing
fire.

'How queer and cross Mrs Mac. is!' said Leucha, turning to her
companions as they rushed off to the Parlour, knowing that they would
have at least half-an-hour in which to make it ready for their evening
talk.

'No, no; she's all right,' said Barbara Fraser; 'and mother thinks the
world of her. If we left, girls, I don't know what father and mother
would say. They've always been wild to get us into a proper Scottish
schoo