as happened to answer in this case, but it does not generally
answer, and I am sorry for her sake that she has succeeded in getting
her way by rather crooked means,' said Stella.

The girls had yet to learn that 'the mills of God grind slowly, but they
grind exceeding small,' and that the experiment which had started in so
promising a manner might turn out a failure, and that Eva had time yet
to repent of her 'clever management.' At present, however, everything
was _couleur de rose_, and after tea they all sat round the fire in the
Whartons' sitting-room, while Stella played hymns on her piano, and Eva,
who had a very pretty voice, joined in very heartily, to Mrs. Morrison's
delight.

'Let's go for a walk; I've got my presentiment again,' announced Eva,
shutting up her hymn-book and jumping up from her chair.

Mrs. Morrison looked at her over the top of her spectacles. 'What might
you have?' she inquired, thinking that Eva was complaining of not
feeling well.

'The hump, Mrs. Morrison, and I want a walk to shake it off,' she
replied.

Mrs. Morrison did not understand this slang; but she understood that Eva
felt depressed, and said, 'A walk will do you all good, and you will
just have time to go over the hill yonder before church.'

Eva did not like to say that she was not going to church, but she
privately decided to return home and amuse herself by trying over some
waltzes while the rest were all at church.

The four accordingly set out for their walk; and, as Eva was a very
entertaining companion, Vava enjoyed the walk with her. Amy and Stella
were becoming such fast friends that they had dropped the formal 'Miss'
in speaking to each other, and they enjoyed the walk. Mrs. Morrison had
told them she should go straight to church. On the way back they passed
the Presbyterian Church; and the two Whartons, remarking that they were
only five minutes too early, turned in there.

'Won't you come to church with me, Eva?' asked Amy as the two walked on
together.

'No, thank you; I have something to do at home. It's so jolly having a
home that I prefer to stay in it. I sha'n't plague you to come to the
pictures every night now,' replied Eva, going off.

But Eva had counted without her host, as Mrs. Morrison, having supposed
that they would all go to church, had locked up and gone out, taking the
key with her. As they were not on a main road, the door was not kept
latched, and so they had no latchkeys. There was a lig