senius coldly.
"They want you in there."

"I thought somebody was dead," said Agatha, "you all look so funereal.
Now, mamma, put your handkerchief back again. If you cry I will give
Miss Wilson a piece of my mind for worrying you."

"No, no," said Mrs. Wylie, alarmed. "She has been so nice!"

"So good!" said Henrietta.

"She has been perfectly reasonable and kind," said Mrs. Jansenius.

"She always is," said Agatha complacently. "You didn't expect to find
her in hysterics, did you?"

"Agatha," pleaded Mrs. Wylie, "don't be headstrong and foolish."

"Oh, she won't; I know she won't," said Henrietta coaxingly. "Will you,
dear Agatha?"

"You may do as you like, as far as I am concerned," said Mrs. Jansenius.
"But I hope you have more sense than to throw away your education for
nothing."

"Your aunt is quite right," said Mrs. Wylie. "And your Uncle John is
very angry with you. He will never speak to you again if you quarrel
with Miss Wilson."

"He is not angry," said Henrietta, "but he is so anxious that you should
get on well."

"He will naturally be disappointed if you persist in making a fool of
yourself," said Mrs. Jansenius.

"All Miss Wilson wants is an apology for the dreadful things you wrote
in her book," said Mrs. Wylie. "You'll apologize, dear, won't you?"

"Of course she will," said Henrietta.

"I think you had better," said Mrs. Jansenius.

"Perhaps I will," said Agatha.

"That's my own darling," said Mrs. Wylie, catching her hand.

"And perhaps, again, I won't."

"You will, dear," urged Mrs. Wylie, trying to draw Agatha, who passively
resisted, closer to her. "For my sake. To oblige your mother, Agatha.
You won't refuse me, dearest?"

Agatha laughed indulgently at her parent, who had long ago worn out this
form of appeal. Then she turned to Henrietta, and said, "How is your
caro sposo? I think it was hard that I was not a bridesmaid."

The red in Henrietta's cheeks brightened. Mrs. Jansenius hastened to
interpose a dry reminder that Miss Wilson was waiting.

"Oh, she does not mind waiting," said Agatha, "because she thinks you
are all at work getting me into a proper frame of mind. That was the
arrangement she made with you before she left the room. Mamma knows that
I have a little bird that tells me these things. I must say that you
have not made me feel any goody-goodier so far. However, as poor Uncle
John must be dreadfully frightened and uncomfortable, it is only kind to
put an