blanket on it. Come on, Mollie, we'll get the things and smuggle
them across while no one is looking."

Mollie felt shocked for a minute. Doing things behind backs was all
against Guide Law, and at home she would almost as soon think of
chopping up her own feet as of cutting up Mother's blankets to play
with. But, she reflected, different times have different ways; there
was no Guide Law in 1878, and perhaps Prue's mother was very extra
strict, in which case "all's fair in love and war", so she followed
Prue into the house. It was, to her eyes, an unusual sort of house,
all built on the ground floor, so that there was no staircase. The
front door opened into a square hall with doors on all sides. Prue
pushed one open and they passed through into a bedroom, very plainly
furnished with two little beds, two chests of drawers, a wash-stand,
and a chair. They pulled the white cover off one bed and hauled away
a blanket, cheerfully striped in scarlet, purple, yellow, and green,
with a few black and white lines thrown in here and there. Mollie
thought it would be rather a difficult blanket to forget about. Prue
replaced the white cover, spreading it smoothly and neatly, rolled
up the blanket, and made for the door again.

Hugh had disappeared. They walked down the veranda, passing several
open French windows through which Mollie caught a glimpse of
sitting-rooms, and crossed a paved courtyard, at the farther side of
which was a red brick house with a wooden porch in front of it.

"The schoolroom is here," Prudence explained, "because Mamma doesn't
like noise. It's a very good plan for us; we can do lots of things
we couldn't do if we were in the house. Miss Wilton is our
governess; she has gone home to-day to nurse a sister with