afternoon, they did talk pleasantly and were merry.
The girls asked questions about the Vulturess,--as they had heard her
called by Lizzie Eustace,--and laughed at Lucy to her face when she
swore that, after a fashion, she liked the old woman.

"You'd like anybody, then," said Nina.

"Indeed I don't," said Lucy, thinking at once of Lizzie Eustace.

Lady Fawn planned out the next day with great precision. After
breakfast, Lucy and the girls were to spend the morning in the old
school-room, so that there might be a general explanation as to the
doings of the last six months. They were to dine at three, and after
dinner there should be the discussion. "Will you come up to my room
at four o'clock, my dear?" said Lady Fawn, patting Lucy's shoulder,
in the breakfast-parlour. Lucy knew well why her presence was
required. Of course she would come. It would be wise to get it over
and have done with it.

At noon Lady Fawn, with her three eldest daughters, went out in the
carriage, and Lucy was busy among the others with books and maps and
sheets of scribbled music. Nothing was done on that day in the way
of instruction; but there was much of half-jocose acknowledgement of
past idleness, and a profusion of resolutions of future diligence.
One or two of the girls were going to commence a course of reading
that would have broken the back of any professor, and suggestions
were made as to very rigid rules as to the talking of French and
German. "But as we can't talk German," said Nina, "we should simply
be dumb." "You'd talk High Dutch, Nina, sooner than submit to that,"
said one of the sisters.

The conclave was still sitting in full deliberation, when one of the
maids entered the room with a very long face. There was a gentleman
in the drawing-room asking for Miss Morris! Lucy, who at the moment
was standing at a table on which were spread an infinity of books,
became at once as white as a sheet. Her fast friend, Lydia Fawn, who
was standing by her, immediately took hold of her hand quite tightly.
The face of the maid was fit for a funeral. She knew that Miss Morris
had had a "follower,"--that the follower had come,--and that then
Miss Morris had gone away. Miss Morris had been allowed to come back;
and now, on the very first day, just when my lady's back was turned,
here was the follower again! Before she had come up with her message,
there had been an unanimous expression of opinion in the kitchen that
the fat would all be i