as not a sign of a boy on the steps, nor was
there any sound of voices from the playground; evidently Cecil and his
companions were already at study. She stood there, panting and weary,
not very well knowing what to do next.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER IV.

'IT'S ALL RIGHT!'

JESSIE fancied that if she rang the bell and asked for Cecil, she should
be either sent away or shown into the great schoolroom; and the idea of
facing Mr. Bardsley and all the boys seemed to her very terrible--almost
too terrible to be entertained for a moment. But then, to leave Cecil in
ignorance of the good tidings that she had run all this way to bring to
him!--to let him go on through the day still feeling himself in
disgrace, and not knowing that all was explained! No, she could not bear
that either. She put up a trembling hand, and not daring to meddle with
the big knocker, which looked prepared to make any amount of noise,
took hold of the bell at the side of it, and gave a feeble tinkle,
which would scarcely have been audible to the housemaid had she not
happened to be close at hand cleaning the hall lamp. She opened the door
so suddenly, that Jessie, who was prepared to wait some time, was quite
startled, and so confused that she could not say anything.

'Did you ring?' asked the maid sharply, looking down in amazement at the
dusty little figure and flushed frightened face.

'Yes; oh, please,' said Jessie, recovering herself, 'is Master
Cunningham here? and would you tell him that I want to speak to him a
minute?'

'The young gentlemen are in school--they can't be disturbed now,'
replied the servant, preparing to shut the door.

'But oh, please, if you would tell him I've come with news from home,
and I want to see him so much,' said Jessie desperately; 'I'm his
sister.'

The maid looked hard at her, and Jessie felt sure she spied out the
gloveless hands under the holland cape; but with as much dignity as she
could muster, the child added, 'I'm Miss Jessie Cunningham;' and
something in her tone and manner must have borne out the assertion, for
with a quick 'Step in here, please, and I'll speak to Mrs. Bardsley,'
the maid opened the door wider instead of shutting it, and allowed her
to enter the hall.

She then gave her a chair, and went into a room close by, from which she
soon reappeared, followed by a quiet-looking lady, not very old, but
with a cap and spectacles, and something about her which made Jessie
feel quite