Jasmine, however, had heard her old governess’s voice, and now running out, looking extremely untidy but very pretty, she exclaimed in her eager tones—­

“Now, you dear Miss Martineau, say you’re not—­do say you’re not!”

“Not what, my dear?” asked the governess, who really felt quite angry with Jasmine at this moment.  “If you mean that I am not displeased—­I am displeased; and if you mean that I am not to oppose you, my dear, I should not be doing my solemn duty, the duty which I owe to your poor dead mother, if I did not oppose you to the very uttermost.  My dear, Mrs. Ellsworthy has told me all about your mad scheme; my poor child, it cannot be allowed for a moment.”

“Come into the drawing-room and hear what Primrose has to say,” answered Jasmine, in quite a meek and unruffled voice.  “Primrose is very busy, for she is dusting and packing all our books and little knick-knacks.  Do you know, Miss Martineau, that just when I heard your ring at the hall-door I came across a pincushion which you gave me ages and ages ago.  You gave it to me when I could say, Le the est chaud with a Parisian accent.  It was such a pretty pincushion made of pink silk, and dotted over with steel beads to look like pins.  Just when you were ringing the bell I had it in my hand, and I felt so soft and loving towards you, and of course I had to run out to see you, and—­; Primrose, dearest, here is Miss Martineau.  She is dreadfully opposed, and she says she won’t let us go.”

Primrose was bending over a battered old trunk which had been hauled down from the lumber-room.  She was filling it with books, and her fair face was slightly flushed, and her eyes were brighter than usual.

“How do you do, Miss Martineau?” she said, rising to her feet.  “It is very kind of you to call.  I feel sure you are annoyed, and think us girls rather silly, but I’m afraid we must do what we think right ourselves in this matter.  We have taken our first steps, and now that we have quite and absolutely made up our minds, mean to leave Rosebury as quickly as possible.  It is very kind of you to be interested in us, and I am sorry that I spoke bitterly the other day, but the plan which was to divide us girls was of course impossible, and we could not listen to it for a moment.  We have made our own little scheme, and perhaps we shall not fail.  Daisy, darling, hand me dear old ’Sandford and Merton,’ I have just got a nice corner for it here.”

Primrose went down again on her knees, and serenely continued her packing, while Miss Martineau, standing over her, then and there gave way to a burst of passion.

She was well aware that she lost ground with her pupils by not controlling her temper, but as she said afterwards, she really could not help herself.  Such coolness, such perversity, such a headstrong flying in the face of their elders, she had never encountered in three young girls before.

Poor Daisy quite sobbed, and even Jasmine felt a little frightened at Miss Martineau’s bitter and angry words; but no language she could use, no threats of the direst failure she could utter, had power to shake Primrose’s resolve.