s part of the country--really
pleasanter perhaps, though one is reluctant to allow it, than the
lovely, fascinating, capriciously joyous spring--and it is a Friday.
Jacinth and Frances Mildmay are walking home from school, carrying their
little bag of books. For Saturday is a whole holiday--no going to school
that is to say--so, naturally, some lessons must be learnt at home for
Monday.

'Aren't you glad to think to-morrow's Saturday, Jass?' said Frances. 'If
only Aunt Alison would let us stay in bed half-an-hour later on Saturday
mornings, it _would_ be nice.'

'You lazy little thing!' said Jacinth, 'no, I don't think it would be
nice at all. I'd rather get up even earlier than usual on a holiday, and
feel we have the whole long day before us. It's one of the things I
admire Aunt Alison for--that she's so punctual and regular; we'd _never_
have been in time at school every morning, Francie, if our home had
still been at poor granny's.'

'I don't like you to say "poor" granny,' said Frances, rather irritably.
'Say "dear" granny. And Jacinth, whether it's true or not that in some
ways we were rather spoilt and--and--not methodical and all that, at
Stannesley, I wish you'd _never_ say it to Aunt Alison. She's quite
ready enough to be down on all the ways there.'

'If ever I've said anything of the kind,' said Jacinth, 'it's only been
as a sort of excuse for _you_; for you know, Frances, you were
dreadfully unpunctual and careless in little ways when we first came,
though I do think you're getting better.'

'Much obliged,' said Frances, rather snappishly, for she was a
quick-tempered girl. 'It's no thanks to Aunt Alison if I am. It's simply
that I see it is right to try and be more careful, and--partly too for
your sake, Jass. But it isn't for love of Aunt Alison. I don't love her.
I'd have--what wouldn't I have done for granny or Uncle Marmy?--they
loved us and Aunt Alison doesn't. She's good, in one way I daresay she's
very good, but it's all duty. Why, just think how she leaves us to
ourselves, once she's ordered our meals and told us what we are to do.
Evening after evening we're alone. _That_'s not loving us.'

'I think you should be very glad indeed that she trusts us,' said
Jacinth. 'It's much better as it is than to have her fussing after us
out of duty, as you say. It would be very uncomfortable for us to feel
that she was always thinking we interrupted all the things she has to
do. She told me a while ago