ter; and that this pleasant state of
affairs might continue, she was careful to make her errand to the
sewing-room very short, lest Lulu should begin to find her task irksome.

Hastening back to her own apartments, she found Lulu still in high
good-humor, laughing and romping with the babe, allowing it to pat her
cheeks and pull her hair with perfect impunity.

"Mamma Vi," she said, "isn't she a darling?"

"I think so," replied Violet; "but I fear she is hurting you, for I know
from experience that she can pull hair very hard."

"Oh," said Lulu, "I don't mind such a trifling hurt, as it amuses her."

Still she seemed quite ready to resign baby to her mother.

"What more can I do, Mamma Vi?" she asked.

"Don't you want to finish that pretty bracket you were at yesterday?"
asked Violet.

"Yes, ma'am; unless there is something I can do to help you."

"Nothing at present, thank you, dear," Violet answered; and giving a
parting kiss to the baby, Lulu hastened away to the work-room.

She toiled on industriously, much interested in her carving, cheerful and
happy, but watching the clock on the mantel as the time drew near for Mr.
Dinsmore's pupils to be dismissed from their tasks.

She had not seen Evelyn since early the day before, and was longing to
have a talk with her, particularly about the delightful prospect of going
to Viamede to spend some months there together; and when at last the
sound of child voices and laughter, coming up from below, told her that
lessons were over, she sprang up and ran hastily down the stairs, looking
eagerly for her friend.

She did not see Evelyn, but met Rosie face to face.

They exchanged glances: Lulu's proud and disdainful, Rosie's merry and
careless; insultingly, so Lulu thought, considering what had passed
between them the previous day; and drawing herself up to her full height,
she said, her eyes flashing with anger, "You owe me an apology!"

"Do I, indeed? Then I'm quite able to owe it," laughed Rosie, dancing
away, but pausing presently to throw back a parting word over her
shoulder: "I'm afraid that's a very bad debt, Miss Raymond; don't you
wish you could collect it?"

Lulu's face crimsoned with anger, and she was opening her lips for a
cutting retort, when Evelyn, who had just stepped out of the schoolroom,
where she had lingered a moment to arrange the contents of her desk,
hastily threw an arm round her waist and drew her away.

"Don't mind what Rosie says; it