himself slowly once more in his chair.

The steps had come nearer, the schoolroom door was burst open, and Nan
Thornton rushed in.

"Here I am," she said. "I have come to torment you, Miss Macalister, and
to beg off lessons at once. How do you do, children? How are you, Kitty?
How are you, Boris? How do you do, Nell? Molly and Nora, I'll kiss you
when I can get breath. Oh, what a climb those stairs are! Why do you
have lessons in the tower? All the same, it's lovely when you _are_
here. What a view! What a darling, darling, heavenly, scrumptious,
_ripping_ view. Oh, dear! oh, dear! I am out of breath. Jane, aren't you
glad to see me? Aren't you glad to know that all the children are to
have a holiday immediately? Shut up your books, young 'uns, and let's be
off. You don't mind, do you, Jane?"

Certainly Jane Macalister did mind. The icy expression grew more marked
on her face. Boris gave her a glance, felt that he was very close to the
guns, and lowered his eyes. Nan began dancing about the room. Nan was in
white--white hat, white frock. Her fluffy golden hair surrounded her
like a cloud. Boris felt that she was something like a very naughty and
very beautiful angel. Why was she tempting them all when Jane Macalister
was like ice?

"I think, Nan," said Miss Macalister--"(how do you do, my dear? Of
course I'm glad to see you)--I think I must ask you to leave the
schoolroom for the present. Recess will be at half-past eleven, and then
you can talk to all the children except Boris, who I grieve to say will
have to undergo punishment. As to holidays, the summer holidays will
begin in a fortnight, until then I cannot permit any such indulgence. Go
away, Nan, for the present. Molly, I can attend to your German now.
Bring your exercise book with the grammar and history."

Nan was not accustomed to being vanquished, but she was very near defeat
then. The next moment she would have found herself ignominiously outside
the baize door if other steps had not approached, and Hester, looking
cool and sweet, Annie, all radiant and laughing, and Mrs. Lorrimer, with
her usual gentle motherly expression, had not appeared on the scene.

"Jane," said the mother, smiling round with her blue eyes at each of the
children, "Hester wants us to get up a hasty picnic to Friar's Wood. The
day is perfect, and this is the first of Nan's holidays, so I hope you
will not object, particularly if the children promise to work extra well
to-morrow."