It was an evening of felicitous chatter, of showing off Christmas cards, of exchanging of news, of building of schemes, the most prominent being that Valetta should be in the constant companionship of Mysie and Fly until her own schoolroom should be re-established.  This had been proposed by Lord Rotherwood, and was what the aunts would have found convenient; but apparently this had been settled by Lord Rotherwood and the two little girls, but Lady Rotherwood had not said anything about it, and quoth Mysie, ’Somehow things don’t happen till Lady Rotherwood settles them, and then they always do.’

‘And shall I like Miss Elbury?’ asked Valetta.

‘Yes, if—–­if you take pains,’ said Mysie; ’but you mustn’t bother her with questions in the middle of a lesson, or she tells you not to chatter.  She likes to have them all kept for the end; and then, if they aren’t foolish, she will take lots of trouble.’

‘Oh, I hate that!’ said Valetta.  ’I shouldn’t remember them, and I like to have done with it.  Then she is not like Miss Vincent?’

’Oh no!  She couldn’t be dear Miss Vincent; but, indeed, she is very kind and nice.’

‘How did you get on altogether, Mysie!  Wasn’t it horrid?’ asked Gillian.

‘I was afraid it was going to be horrid,’ said Mysie.  ’You see, it wasn’t like going in holiday time as it was before.  We had to be almost always in the schoolroom; and there were lots of lessons—–­more for me than Fly.’

‘Just like a horrid old governess to slake her thirst on you,’ put in Fergus; and though his aunts shook their heads at him, they did not correct him.

’And one had to sit bolt upright all the time, and never twist one’s ankles,’ continued Mysie; ’and not speak except French and German—–­ good, mind!  It wouldn’t do to say, “La jambe du table est sur mon exercise?"’

‘Oh, oh!  No wonder Fly got ill!’

’Fly didn’t mind one bit.  French and German come as naturally to her as the days of the week, and they really begin to come to me in the morning now when I see Miss Elbury.’

‘But have you to go on all day?’ asked Valetta disconsolately.

‘Oh no!  Not after one o’clock.’

’And you didn’t say that mamma thinks it only leads to slovenly bad grammar!’ said Gillian.

‘That would have been impertinent,’ said Mysie; ’and no one would have minded either.’

‘Did you never play?’

’We might play after our walk—–­and after tea; but it had to be quiet play, not real good games, even before Fly was ill—–­at least we did have some real games when Primrose came over, or when Cousin Rotherwood had us down in his study or in the hall; but Fly got tired, and knocked up very soon even then.  Miss Elbury wanted us always to play battledore and shuttlecock, or Les Graces, if we couldn’t go out.’

‘Horrid woman!’ said Valetta.

‘No, she isn’t horrid,’ said Mysie stoutly; ’I only fancied her so when she used to say, “Vos coudes, mademoiselle,” or “Redresses-vous,” and when she would not let us whisper; but really and truly she was very, very kind, and I came to like her very much and see she was not cross—–­only thought it right.’