r expression, as
if she were recovering from a shock. Altogether, Diana felt that her
deed of daring had fallen very flat. She was annoyed that no one
congratulated her upon it. She considered that for a girl of fourteen it
was rather a record. Monty would not be able to sneer at "Miss America"
again. She strolled in a casual way past the font which he was
decorating, and made a final effort to wring from him the appreciation
she craved.

"There _are_ some steeple-jennies in the world!" she remarked, staring
upwards at the clerestory.

Monty picked up another piece of holly, placed it deliberately in
position, and then turned his spectacles on Diana.

"And there are more jenny-asses in it too than I should have expected!"
he answered pointedly.

When Diana had undressed that evening Mrs. Fleming came into her room to
say good-night, and sat down for a minute on the edge of her bed.

"Have you thought, dear," she said, "what it would have meant to Mr.
Fleming and me to have been obliged to write to your father and mother
and tell them you were lying dead, or, worse still, a cripple with a
broken spine; and what your father's and mother's feelings would have
been at the news?"

Diana turned her face away.

"Thoughtlessness can sometimes amount to heartlessness in its lack of
consideration for others."

"Monty dared me to do it."

"He never dreamed you actually would. Besides, are you going to do every
idiotic, silly thing that every foolish person says you dare not? I
thought you were more sensible, Diana! Remember, we are responsible for
you during the holidays, and I wish to return you whole to your parents.
We use every reasonable precaution to take care of you, but I can't
calculate on safeguarding you as if you were a baby of three."

Diana drummed her fingers on the pillow. Mrs. Fleming waited a moment,
then tried a different tack.

"I'm not very strong, Diana. My heart is weak, and I'm afraid for some
days I shall feel the effect of the shock you gave me this afternoon. I
don't believe you're the kind of girl who'd deliberately want to make me
ill."

Diana wriggled round, but her head was bent down.

"Remember that we care about you, dear. It would grieve us very much if
the slightest little accident were to happen to you. We want you to have
jolly holidays here, and to go back to school safe and well, with, I
hope, a happy remembrance of the Vicarage."

Two soft arms were thrown round Mrs. Flemi