"_Peppermints_!" said Mollie, but although she had whispered it, she
felt that Dorothy had heard it, and knew that both she and Nina had
been laughing at Arabella and her aunt. Mollie's cheeks flushed, and she
looked down at her shoes. She knew that Dorothy's sweet eyes were
looking at her, not angrily, but with a tender grieving.

Dorothy was full of fun, and ready for merriment at any time, but she
saw nothing amusing in laughing at a playmate, or friend, and she had
asked them all to be kind to Arabella.

Aunt Charlotte turned to the window, and set the little silver bell
tinkling, and the pupils at once filed into the schoolroom.

They found Arabella Corryville sitting primly in her place. Her small,
thin hands were clasped upon her desk, and she looked at the pupils as
they filed in, peeping first over her glasses, and then through them, as
if she were hunting for little faults which she really hoped to find.

Aunt Charlotte had told her that on this, her first day of school, she
might listen to the recitations, and on the next day come with her
lessons prepared, and then recite with the class.

She sat very still, only moving her round eyes to watch the pupils, and
as she did not smile, one could not guess if she were pleased with the
school or not.

The little girls busied themselves with their books, but Reginald kept
his blue eyes fixed upon Arabella, as if he could think of nothing else.

At first she seemed not to notice him, but after a time she moved