the picture it would never grow. The more she
thought, the more difficult it was to see her way clear; as the evening
grew darker and more shadowy, so her reflections became dimmer and more
confused; at last they were suddenly stopped altogether, for a bat which
had come forth on its evening travels flapped straight against her face
under the eaves. Thoroughly roused, Lilac drew in her head, shut her
window, and was very soon fast asleep in bed.

Night is said to bring counsel, and perhaps it did so in some way,
although she slept too soundly to dream, for punctually at eleven
o'clock the next morning she was at the meeting-place appointed by
Agnetta at the farm.

This was a loft over the cows' stables, the only place when, at that
hour, they could be sure of no interruption.

"The proper place 'ud be my bedroom," Agnetta had said, "where there's a
mirror an' all; but it's Bella's too, you see, an' just now she's making
a new bonnet, and she's forever there trying it on. But I'll bring the
scissors and do it in a jiffy."

And here was Agnetta armed with the scissors, and a certain authority of
manner she always used with her cousin.

"Tek off yer bonnet and undo yer plaits," she said, opening and shutting
the bright scissors with a snap, as though she longed to begin.

Lilac stood with her back against a truss of hay, rather shrinking away,
for now that the moment had really come she felt frightened, and all her
doubts returned. She had the air of a pale little victim before her
executioner.

"Come," said Agnetta, with another snap.

"Oh, Agnetta, do you really think they'll like it?" faltered Lilac.

"What I really think is that you're a ninny," said the determined
Agnetta; "an' I'm not agoin' to wait here while you shilly-shally. Is
it to be off or on?"

"Oh off, I suppose," said Lilac.

With trembling fingers she took off her bonnet, and unfastened her hair
from its plait. It fell like a dark silky veil over her shoulders.

"Lor'!" said Agnetta, "you have got a lot of it."

She stood for a second staring at her victim open-mouthed with the
scissors upraised in one hand, then advanced, and grasping a handful of
the soft hair drew it down over Lilac's face.

"Oh, Agnetta," cried an imploring voice behind the screen thus formed,
"you'll _be_ careful! You won't tek off too much."

"Come nearer the light," said Agnetta.

Still holding the hair, she drew her cousin towards the wide open doors
of