obliged to you, and I shall be delighted to come."

CHAPTER IX

A NEW LIFE

THE vice-principal's room at Heath Hall was double the size of those
occupied by the students. Miss Heath had, of course, a separate
sleeping apartment. Her delightful sitting-room, therefore, had not
the curtained-off effect which took slightly from the charm of the
students' rooms. In summer Miss Heath's room was beautiful, for the
two deep bay windows-- one facing west, the other south-- looked out
upon smoothly kept lawns and flower-beds, upon tall elm trees and also
upon a distant peep of the river, for which Kingsdene was famous, and
some of the spires and towers of the old churches. In winter, too,
however-- and winter had almost come now-- the vice-principal's room
had a unique effect, and Priscilla never forgot the first time she saw
it. The young girl stepped across the threshold of a new life on this
first evening. She would always remember it.

It was getting dark, and curtains were drawn round the cozy bays, and
the firelight blazed cheerfully.

Prissie was a little before rather than behind her time, and there was
no one in the room to greet her when she entered. She felt so
overmastered by shyness, however, that this was almost a relief, and
she sank down into one of the many comfortable chairs with a feeling
of thankfulness and looked around her.

The next moment a servant entered with a lamp, covered with a gold