ho now understood the whole thing. "She
would not tell for fear of getting you blamed."

"And I called her a tell-tale before," said Mark, "because she told you
about the trick. I've been punishing her for weeks about that. Miss
Davis, can't I go in and see her and beg her pardon?"

"Certainly," said Miss Davis; "she is sitting at the fire, and her eyes
are red with crying. Come in with me and we will try to make her happy
again."

"Why, Hetty, you do look miserable!" cried Mark, coming into the room
and looking ruefully at her pale cheeks and the black shadows round her
eyes. "And to think of you never telling after all I made you suffer!"

"I wanted to show you that I am not a tell-tale, Mark; but oh, I am so
glad you have come. I thought you were never going to be friends with me
again."

"I was away four days," said Mark; "and of course I thought you knew.
But Hetty, you are a jolly queer girl I can tell you, and I can't half
understand you. Think of anyone standing two hours to be pierced through
and through with cold, rather than drop a fellow's string and run away!"

Hetty looked at him wistfully, recognizing the truth that he never could
understand the sort of feeling that led her into making, as he
considered, such a fool of herself. Miss Davis gazed at her kindly and
pityingly, thinking of how many hard blows she would get in the future,
in return for acts like that which had so puzzled Mark. And she resolved
that another time she would be slow in blaming any eccentric conduct in
Hetty, and would wait till she could get at the motive which inspired
it.

CHAPTER XV.

THE CHILDREN'S DANCE.

One day during these Christmas holidays a lady came to visit at
Wavertree Hall, bringing her two little girls. Phyllis and Nell had gone
with Miss Davis to see some other young friends in the neighbourhood,
and Hetty, who was spending one of her lonely afternoons in the
school-room with her books and work, was sent for to take the little
visitors for a walk in the grounds, while their mother had tea with Mrs.
Enderby.

Hetty was pleased at being wanted, and soon felt at home with the
strange little girls, who at once took a great fancy to her. Seeing she
could give pleasure her spirits rose high, and she became exceedingly
merry, and said some very amusing things.

"I think," said Edith, the elder of the young visitors, "that you must
be the girl who told such funny stories one evening when mamma dined