Even Aunt Charlotte smiled at the droll error, but Arabella laughed long
and loud.

"Order, order!" said Aunt Charlotte.

"The word is _chariot_," she said.

The others read in turn, until they had finished the charming story, and
each of the girls wondered why Arabella was not reproved for rudeness.
The arithmetic lesson completed the morning's work, and as they walked
home, they talked of the new pupil.

"I don't see why Aunt Charlotte didn't speak to Arabella," said Nina
Earl, "she was horridly rude."

"And how queer she is," said Mollie Merton; "just the minute school was
out she ran down the path, and across the street to get home before any
of us could talk with her. And I _do_ wonder Aunt Charlotte didn't speak
to her about laughing so loudly, just because Reginald made a mistake.
I don't believe she could read any better."

"I guess _perhaps_ Arabella didn't mean to be disagreeable," said
Flossie Barnet.

She disliked Arabella, but she never could bear to hear any one spoken
of unkindly.

"Now, Flossie Barnet, you might just know that Arabella _likes_ to be
unpleasant," said Jeanette, and Flossie could not deny it.