r so?' said Lucy, with some surprise.

'Why, yes, I do not know,' said Helen, hesitating; 'but then, she does
laugh so very much.'

Lucy could not make any answer, for at this moment her mother called
her to make some arrangement about the luggage; but she pondered a
little on the proverb which declares that it is well to be merry and
wise.

Mrs. Hazleby had been condoling with Mr. Woodbourne upon his daughter's
misbehaviour, and declaring that her dear girls would never dream of
taking a single step without her permission, but that learning was the
ruin of young ladies.

Mr. Woodbourne listened to all this discourse very quietly, without
attempting any remark, but as soon as the Hazlebys had gone up-stairs
to put on their bonnets, he said, 'Well, I wish Miss Harriet joy of her
conscience.'

'I wish Barbara had been more gentle with those girls,' replied Mrs.
Woodbourne, with a sigh. And this was all that passed between the
elders on the subject of the behaviour of Miss Harriet Hazleby.

Mr. Woodbourne and Rupert accompanied Mrs. Hazleby and her daughters to
the railroad station, Rupert shewing himself remarkably polite to Mrs.
Hazleby's pet baskets, and saving Lucy from carrying the largest and
heaviest of them, which generally fell to her share.

CHAPTER XIV.

'Well,' said Elizabeth, drawing a long breath, as she went out to walk
with Anne and Helen, 'there is the even-handed justice of this world.
Of the four delinquents of last Friday, there goes one with flying
colours, in all the glory of a successful deceit; you, Anne, who, to
say the best of you, acted like a very great goose, are considered as
wise as ever; I, who led you all into the scrape with my eyes wilfully
blinded, am only pitied and comforted; poor Kitty, who had less idea of
what she was doing than any of us, has had more crying and scolding
than anybody else; and Lucy, who behaved so well--oh! I cannot bear to
think of her.'

'It is a puzzle indeed,' said Helen; 'I mean as far as regards Harriet
and Lucy.'

'Not really, Helen,' said Elizabeth; 'it is only a failure in story
book justice. Lucy is too noble a creature to be rewarded in a
story-book fashion; and as for Harriet, impunity like hers is in
reality a greater punishment than all the reproof in the world.'

'How could she sit by and listen to all that Papa and Mrs. Hazleby were
saying?' said Helen.

'How could she bear the glance of Papa's eye?' said Elizabeth; 'did yo