the matter?'

'Then you have not heard?' said Jane.

'Only Robert began just now, "Poor Jenny, she has been the cause of
getting us into a very awkward scrape," but then Ada came to tell me
about you, and I came away.'

'Yes,' said Jane, angrily, 'he will throw all the blame upon me, when
I am sure it was quite as much the fault of that horrible Mrs.
Appleton, and papa will be as angry as possible.'

'But what has happened?' asked Lily.

'Oh! that chatterer, that worst of gossipers, has gone and told the
Naylors and Mrs. Gage all we said about them the other day.'

'So you told Mrs. Appleton?' said Lily; 'so that was the reason you
were so obliging about the marking thread. Oh, Jane, you had better
say no more about Mrs. Appleton! And has it done much mischief?'

'Oh! Mrs. Gage "pitched" into Robert, as Wat Greenwood would say,
and the christening is off again.'

'Jane, this is frightful,' said Lily; 'I do not wonder that you are
unhappy.'

'Well, I daresay it will all come right again,' said Jane; 'there
will only be a little delay, papa and Robert will bring them to their
senses in time.'