ess or accident, so she devoted herself to
them and to her studies of ice and snow, and wrote word to her family
that they were to think of her as hibernating till Easter, if not
Whitsuntide.

CHAPTER XXII
OUT OF JOINT

Constance had, of course, to spend her Christmas holidays at home, where
she had not been for nine months.

Her brother met her at the London terminus to go down with her, and
there, to her great joy, she also saw Rose Rollstone on the platform.
Herbert, whose dignity had first prompted him to seek a smoking carriage
apart from his sister, thereupon decided to lay it aside and enter with
them, looking rather scornful at the girls' mutual endearments.

'Come, Conny, Miss Rollstone has had enough of that,' he said, 'and here
are a lot going to get in. Oh my, the cads! I shall have to get into
the smoking carriage after all.'

'No, don't. Sit opposite and we shall do very well.'

Then came the exchange of news, and--'You've heard, of course, Rosie?'

'I should think I had,' then an anxious glance at Herbert, who answered--

'Oh yes, mother and Ida have been tearing their hair ever since, but it
is all rot! The governor's very welcome to the poor little beggar!'

'Oh, that's right! That's very noble of you, Herbert,' said both the
girls in a breath.

'Well, you see, old Frank is good to live these thirty or forty years
yet, and what was the good of having to wait? Better have done with it
at once, I say, and he has written me a stunning jolly letter.'

'Oh, I was sure he would!' cried Constance.

'I'm to go on just the same, and he won't cut off my allowance,' pursued
Herbert.

'It is just as my papa says,' put in Rose, 'he is always the gentleman.
And you'll be in the army still?'

'When I've got through my exams; but they are no joke, Miss Rose, I can
tell you. It is Conny there that likes to sap. What have you been doing
this time, little one?'

'I don't know yet, but Miss Astley thinks I have done well and shall get
into the upper form,' said Constance shyly. 'I got on with my German
while I was abroad, trying to teach Uncle Frank.'

At which Herbert laughed heartily, and demanded what sort of scholar he
made.

'Not very good,' owned Constance; 'he did forget so from day to day, and
he asked so many questions, and was always wanting to have things
explained. But it made me know them better, and Mrs. Bury had such nice
books, and she helped me. If you want to take