taught a new servant was to "put up" with one of her mistresses,
still there was no alternative.--Hilary had already foreboded and
made up her mind to such a possibility, but she had hoped it would
not occur the very first evening.

It did, however, and its climax was worse even than she anticipated.
Whether, irritated by the intense sullenness of the girl. Selina's
temper was worse than usual, or whether, as is always the case with
people like her, something else had vexed her, and she vented it upon
the first cause of annoyance that occurred, certain it is that her
tongue went on unchecked till it failed from sheer exhaustion. And
then, as she flung herself on the sofa--oh, sad mischance!--she
caught sight of her nephew standing at the school-room door, grinning
with intense delight, and making faces at her behind her back.

It was too much. The poor lady had no more words left to scold with;
but she rushed up to Ascott, and big lad as he was, she soundly boxed
his ears.

On this terrible climax let the curtain fall.



CHAPTER II.

Common as were the small fends between Ascott and his Aunt Selina,
they seldom reached such a catastrophe as that described in my last
chapter. Hilary had to fly to the rescue, and literally drag the
furious lad back into the school-room; while Johanna, pale and
trembling, persuaded Selina to quit the field and go and lie down.