sday," said Mrs. Rolleston,
regretfully.

The significance of this remark was not lost upon Bluebell, who stole a
furtive glance at Bertie's face.

"I thought I had got to an enchanted hall," said he. "I daren't wind the
horn lest I should fall under the spell. The portal yielded to my touch,
and I entered the first room, where conceive my surprise to see,
fantastically dressed, and reclining in Eastern fashion on skins and
cushions, a galaxy of beauty. They were silent, too, except one, who, in
a hushed, mysterious, voice, was improvising an allegory."

"In short," said Mrs. Rolleston, in a matter-of-fact tone, "the children
were dressed up and telling stories." She began to wonder where Miss
Prosody could be. It was no use Bertie prejudicing his chance with Cecil
by getting up an idle flirtation with these Lake young ladies, who were
already blushing so ridiculously at him; and would have been further
confirmed in this conviction had she guessed that ten minutes ago he had
tried to kiss one of them in a cupboard.

She offered him a bed, but willingly accepted his excuse that Lascelles
was all alone, and he had promised to go back, but would bring him to
dinner next night. And then he went away through the rain, and Bluebell
was left with her thoughts.

Well she had never pictured such a meeting as that! And how disagreeable
it had all been. Of course she did not mind his not having paid her much
attention before the children, who repeated everything, but to go on in
that silly romping away with Crickey was ineffably disgusting. She did
not at all recognise it as a poetical justice on her for tampering with
other people's lovers a few days before, but mentally denounced that
young person as bold and unlady like to the last degree.

The evening continued so stormy, that Mrs. Rolleston kept the girls all
night, and Bluebell, much against her will, had to entertain them, which
was the more irksome as they were both expiring with curiosity about
Bertie, and could talk of nothing but his extraordinary behaviour.
Crickey hadn't even the sense to keep his impertinence in the cupboard to
herself, and Bluebell, who had only suspected before, was provoked into
the most trenchant expressions of condemnation.

"How could I help it?" asked Crickey, indignantly. "How should I know he
would be so impudent?"

"Why need you have got into the cupboard with him?" said Bluebell. "It is
just what you might have expected, in fact,