“You heartless creature!” cried the exasperated Lilly.  “I believe you’re made of marble; you haven’t one bit of feeling.  Nor you either, Katy.  You haven’t cried a drop.”

“Given this problem,” said the provoking Rose:  “when the nose without is as red as a lobster, what must be the temperature of the heart within, and vice versa?”

The tea-bell rang just in time to avert a fresh flood of tears from Lilly.  She brushed her hair in angry haste, and they all hurried down by a side staircase which, as Rose explained, the school-girls were expected to use.  The dining-room was not large; only part of the girls could be seated at a time; so they took turns at dining at the first table, half one week and half the next.

Mrs. Nipson sat at the tea-tray, with Mrs. Florence beside her.  At the other end of the long board sat a severe-looking person, whom Lilly announced in a whisper as “that horrid Miss Jane.”  The meal was very simple,—­tea, bread and butter, and dried beef:—­it was eaten in silence; the girls were not allowed to speak, except to ask for what they wanted.  Rose Red indeed, who sat next to Mrs. Florence, talked to her, and even ventured once or twice on daring little jokes, which caused Clover to regard her with admiring astonishment.  No one else said any thing, except “Butter, please,” or “Pass the bread.”  As they filed upstairs after this cheerless meal, they were met by rows of hungry girls, who were waiting to go down, and who whispered, “How long you have been!  What’s for tea?”

The evening passed in making up classes and arranging for recitation-rooms and study-hours.  Katy was glad when bed-time came.  The day, with all its new impressions and strange faces, seemed to her like a confused dream.  She and Clover undressed very quietly.  Among the printed rules, which hung on the bedroom door, they read:  “All communication between room-mates, after the retiring bell has rung, is strictly prohibited.”  Just then it did not seem difficult to keep this rule.  It was only after the candle was blown out, that Clover ventured to whisper,—­very low indeed, for who knew but Miss Jane was listening outside the door?—­“Do you think you’re going to like it?” and Katy, in the same cautious whisper, responded, “I’m not quite sure.”  And so ended the first day at the nunnery.

CHAPTER V. ROSES AND THORNS.

“Oh! what is it?  What has happened?” cried Clover, starting up in bed, the next morning, as a clanging sound roused her suddenly from sleep.  It was only the rising-bell, ringing at the end of Quaker Row.

Katy held her watch up to the dim light.  She could just see the hands.  Yes:  they pointed to six.  It was actually morning!  She and Clover jumped up, and began to dress as fast as possible.

“We’ve only got half an hour,” said Clover, unhooking the rules, and carrying them to the window,—­“Half an hour; and this says that we must turn the mattress, smooth the under-sheet over the bolster, and spend five minutes in silent devotion!  We’ll have to be quick to do all that besides dressing ourselves!”