“How tiresome of her to have gone so fast!” she said to herself?

Presently she shouted Ruth’s name, and Ruth was obliged to stop.

“Why, Ruth,” said Cassandra, “what is the matter with you?  You generally wait to talk to me after school is over.  Why are you in such a hurry?”

“I am not,” said Ruth, who was not going to get out of her difficulty by telling an untruth.

“Well, if you are not in a hurry, why are you running across this field at the rate of a hunt?  It looks as if you were—­” Cassandra paused, and the color came into her cheeks—­“as if you were running away from me.”

Ruth was silent.  Cassandra came close to her and looked into her face.

“What is the matter, Ruth?” she repeated.

“I have promised granny that I would help her with some darning this afternoon.”

“Your granny must do without you, for you have got to come back with me.”

“Oh, indeed, I can’t!”

“But you must, my little girl.  I have got the most heavenly plan to suggest to you.”

Cassandra laid her hand on Ruth’s shoulder.  Ruth started away.

“What is it, Ruth?  How queer you look!  What is the matter?”

“I must get home.  I promised granny.”

“But listen before you decide.  You know Miss Renshaw, don’t you?”

“Miss Maria Renshaw, the coach.  Yes, I do.”

“Don’t you remember my pointing her out to you?”

“Of course I remember it, Cassandra; and she looked—­oh, lovely!”

“She is far more lovely than she looks—­that is, if you mean she is clever and taking and all the rest.  She is just perfectly splendid.  She makes you see a thing at the first glance.  She has a way of putting information into you so that you cannot help knowing.  Oh, she is delightful!  And mother says that I may have her to coach me for the big scholarship—­the sixty-pounds-a-year scholarship.  You know there are two of them.  There is one quite in your line, and there is one in mine; and there is no earthly reason why you should not get one and I the other.”

“Well?” said Ruth.

Her beautiful, fair, delicately chiselled face had turned pale.  She stood very upright, and looked full at Cassandra.

“It could be easily done, dear little Ruth.  Miss Renshaw would just as soon coach two girls as one, and mother has arranged it.  Yes, she has arranged it absolutely.  Miss Renshaw will coach you and me together.  You are to come home with me every evening.  She will give us both an hour.  Isn’t it too splendid?”

Ruth did not speak.

“Aren’t you pleased, Ruth?  Don’t you think it is very nice of me to think of my friends?  You are my friend, you know.”

“Oh no,” said Ruth.

“But what is it?  What is the matter?”

“I—­I can’t.”