emptation last Sunday
because, as she had persuaded herself then, she was not required to
tell an untruth, but merely to hold her tongue about the message; but
now she found that to hide that wrong-doing a direct lie must be told,
and, although it made her uncomfortable and unhappy, it was done. But
she protested again and again to her own conscience that she would
never do it again. Before she left school, however, she had another
fright.

"When do you go to London, Kate?" asked her teacher, as the girls were
leaving.

"To-morrow week, ma'am," said Kate.

"Well, I will try and see you one day in the week, for I want to hear
all about your new situation and what your mother thinks of it," said
Miss Eldon, quite unconscious of the panic her words had put Kate into.

It made her last days at home the most miserable she had ever spent,
for Miss Eldon did not come until Saturday afternoon, but Kate had been
in suspense every hour during the whole week, and yet the foolish girl
could not summon up the courage necessary to tell her mother the truth
about the matter.

The dreadful moment arrived at last, when there came a knock at the
door, and Miss Eldon entering, was soon seated in their little back
room, and Kate's mother with her.

"I was so much surprised to hear that Kate was going to London," began
the lady, removing her gloves for an easy chat.

"Yes, ma'am, it was a surprise to me, and something of a shock too, I
may say, for I had rather she had got a nice comfortable place nearer
home."

"Yes, it is a pity I did not hear of this vacancy at Lady Hazeldean's a
day or two sooner, for I can quite understand how anxious you must feel
at a young girl like Kate leaving home."

"Yes, ma'am, and if it had been anybody but my own brother that offered
it, she should not have gone, but he has been a good friend to me, and
I cannot afford to offend him. If I could only have written and told
him I had a place in view for her, it would have been different. I
suppose, ma'am, if you had heard of this nursery-maid's place a week
earlier, you would have recommended Kate for it, as she spoke to you, I
think, before Mary Green."

"Yes, she did, and I recommended her to Lady Hazeldean, when I called
there and heard of it, for I thought it would be just the place for
Kate; and I must say I felt a little vexed as well as disappointed that
you did not come to see me last Monday week about it."

The widow stared at her vis