So after a few days, too wet and tempestuous for any expedition, they set forth accompanied by Fergus, who rushed in from school in time to treat his aunt as a peripatetic ‘Joyce’s scientific dialogues.’  Valetta had not arrived, and Gillian was in haste to elude her, knowing that her aunt would certainly not take her on to Tideshole, and that there would be no comfort in talking before her; but it was a new thing to have to regard her little sister in the light of a spy, and again she had to reason down a sense of guiltiness.  However, her aunt wanted Valetta as little as she did; and she had never so rejoiced in Fergus’s monologue, ’Then this small fly-wheel catches into the Targe one, and so—–­ Don’t you see?’ —–­only pausing for a sound of assent.

Unacquainted with the private door, Miss Mohun entered the office through the showroom, exchanging greetings with the young saleswomen, and finding Miss White putting away her materials.

Shaking hands, Miss Mohun said—–­

’I have brought your friend to make a visit to you while I go on to Tideshole.  She tells me that you will be kind enough to see her on her way home, if you are going back at the same time.’

‘I shall be delighted,’ said Kalliope, with eyes as well as tongue, and no sooner were she and Gillian alone together than she joyfully exclaimed—–­

’Then Miss Mohun knows!  You have told her.

‘No—–­’

‘Oh!’ and there were volumes in the intonation.  ’I was alarmed when she came in, and then so glad if it was all over.  Dear Miss Merrifield—–­’

’Call me Gillian; I have told you to do so before!  Phyllis is Miss Merrifield, and I won’t be so before my time,’ said Gillian, interrupting in a tone more cross than affectionate.

‘I was going to say,’ pursued Kalliope, ’that the shock her entrance gave to me proved all the more that we cannot be treating her properly.

’Never mind that!  I did not come about that.  She is quite taken with you, Kally, and wants you more than ever to be a Friendly Girl, because she thinks it would be so good for the others who are under you.’

‘They have told me something about it,’ said Kalliope thoughtfully.

‘She fancied’ added Gillian, ’that perhaps she did not make you understand the rights of it, not knowing that you were different from the others.’

‘Oh no, it was not that,’ said Kalliope.  ’Indeed, I hope there is no such nonsense in me.  It was what my dear father always warned us against; only poor mamma always gets vexed if she does not think we are keeping ourselves up, and she had just been annoyed at—–­ something, and we did not know then that it was Lady Merrifield’s sister.’