"Good night. Good night, Bella."

Mavis hurried home and to bed, to be kept awake for quite two hours
by fears of the unknown perils which might menace the independent
course which she was about to travel.

Breakfast the next morning was a dismal meal. Mavis was genuinely
sorry to leave the old ladies, who had, in a large measure, taken
the place of the parents she had lost.

They, on their part, were conscious of the break that Mavis's
departure would make in their lives. All three women strove to
conceal their distress by an affectation of cheerfulness and
appetite. But little was eaten or drunk. Miss Annie Mee was so
absent-minded that she forgot to spread any butter upon her toast.
The old ladies were leaving for Worthing soon after eleven. Mavis
purposed taking leave of them and Brandenburg College as soon after
breakfast as she could get away. When she rose from the table, Miss
Helen Mee said:

"I should like to see you in my study in five minutes from now."

The study was a small-sized room, which was reached by descending
two steps at the end of the hall further from the front door. Mavis
presented herself here at the expiration of the allotted time, where
she found Miss Helen and Miss Annie solemnly seated behind the book-
littered table, which stood in the middle of the room.

"Pray close the door," said Helen.