d only manage to disbelieve it all, and wave it aside as a piece of
foolish prejudice; but she could not do this, for her eyes were opened,
and she saw the meaning of many things which she had misread before.
Miss Carr's quizzical, disapproving glance; her father's anxious gaze;
the little scornful sniff on the face of the old cook as she took her
morning's orders. Could it be that they all felt the same, and were
condemning her in their hearts as a stupid, consequential little girl,
who had no importance whatever except in her own estimation? And--"_a
hindrance_!" The word brought with it a throb of something deeper than
wounded pride, for, with all her faults, Hilary was devoted to her
father and her brothers and sisters, and the thought stung like a whip
that they might not care for her--that the time could come when they
might even wish for her absence!

The light was growing dim in the deserted room, and, as Hilary laid her
head back in the old-fashioned chair, the tears which rose to her eyes
and trickled down her cheeks were the bitterest she had known in the
course of her short life.

CHAPTER NINE.

THE VIOLIN LESSON.

Three days after Mr Bertrand's return, Rex Freer arrived at the house
in a state of triumphant excitement. This was by no means his first
appearance since he had left Cloudsdale, for he never passed the house
on any of his numerous expeditions without running in for ten minutes'
chat, so that the girls were getting accustomed to see his head appear
at the window as they sat at work, or to hear the loud rat-tat on the
door which heralded his coming. They soon had practical demonstration
of his "managing powers," for more than once, after definitely making up
their minds that nothing would induce them to stir from the house, they
found themselves meekly putting on hats and jackets to join a
tobogganing party, and to accompany the young gentleman part of his way
home. Lettice was always easily influenced, but high-spirited Norah
made many protests against what she was pleased to call his "Indian
ways," and on one occasion even went so far as to dare a direct refusal.
Lettice had left the room to get ready for a walk along the snowy
lanes, but Miss Norah sat obstinately in her chair, the heel of one
slipper perched on the toe of the other, in an attitude which was a
triumph of defiance.

"Well!" said Mr Rex, putting his hands in his pockets, and standing
with his back to the fire in el