Afterwards Judy only had a very indistinct remembrance of what
happened during the next half-hour. She knew there was a stormy
scene, in which Esther and the whole family came in for an
immense amount of vituperation.

Then Pip received a thrashing, in spite of Judy's persistent avowal
that it was all her fault, and Pip hadn't done anything. She
remembered wondering whether she would be treated as summarily as
Pip, so angry was her father's face as he pushed the boy aside
and stood looking at her, riding whip in hand. But he flung
it, down and laid a heavy hand on her shrinking shoulder.

"Next Monday," he said slowly--"next Monday morning you will
go to boarding school. Esther, kindly see Helen's clothes are
ready for boarding school--next Monday morning."



CHAPTER V "Next Monday Morning"


There was a trunk standing in the hall, and a large, much-travelled
portmanteau, and there were labels on them that said: "Miss Helen
Woolcot, The Misses Burton, Mount Victoria."

In the nursery breakfast was proceeding spasmodically. Meg's
blue eyes were all red and swollen with crying, and she was still
sniffing audibly as she poured out the coffee. Pip had his hands
in his pockets and stood on the hearthrug, looking gloomily at a
certain plate, and refusing breakfast altogether; the General was