ow," said Amy. "He gives the art lecture to our class. And you
know the black silk gown will surely go on."

"There's no help for you, you poor child," cried Alexia, exulting that
she never would be gathered into Miss Anstice's class, and that she just
hated art and all that sort of thing, despite the efforts of Miss
Salisbury's younger sister to get her interested. "Yes, that black silk
gown will surely be there. Look out now, Amy; all you girls will catch
it."

"Oh, I know it," said Amy with a sigh. "How I do wish I never'd got into
that class!"

"Well, you know I told you," said Alexia provokingly; "you'd much
better have taken my advice and kept out of her clutches."

"I wish I had," mourned Amy again.

"How Miss Anstice can be so horrid--she isn't a bit like Miss
Salisbury," said Alexia. "I don't see--"

"She isn't horrid," began Polly.

"Oh Polly!"

"Well, not always," said Polly.

"Well, she is anyway when she has company, and gets on that black silk
gown; just as stiff and cross and perky and horrid as can be."

"She wants you all to show off good," said Alexia. "Well, I'm glad
enough I'm not in any of her old classes. I just dote on Miss
Salisbury."

"Oh Alexia, you worry the life out of her almost," said Sally.

"Can't help it if I do," said Alexia sweetly. "I'm very fond of her. And
as for Mademoiselle, she's a dear. Oh, I love Mademoiselle, too."

"Well, she doesn't love you," cried Clem viciously. "Dear me! fancy one
of the teachers being fond of Alexia!"

"Oh, you needn't laugh," said Alexia composedly as the girls giggled;
"every single one of those teachers would feel dreadfully if I left that
school. They would really, and cry their eyes out."

"And tear their hair, I suppose," said Clem scornfully.

"Yes, and tear their--why, what in this world are we stopping for?"
cried Alexia in one breath.

So everybody else wondered, as the train gradually slackened speed and
came to a standstill. Everybody who was going in to town to the theatre
or opera, began to look impatient at once.

"Oh dear!" cried the girls who were going to sit up to study, "now isn't
this just as hateful as it can be?"

"I don't care," said Alexia, settling comfortably back, "because I can't
study much anyway, so I'd just as soon sit on this old train an hour."

"Oh Alexia!" exclaimed Polly in dismay, with her heart full at the
thought of Mamsie's distress, and that of dear Grandpapa and Jasper.
Phronsie would