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your education I’ve got in mind. I want you to go to school. a good school. “
    “Wouldn’t that be costly?”
    “We’ll manage when it’s necessary. But not yet. In another year, say.
    In the meantime. Tamarisk has a governess up at the house Miss Lloyd. Rachel shares the governess. She goes along each day to St. Aubyn’s and has lessons with Tamarisk. You see what I’m driving at? “
    “You think that I… ?”
    Aunt Sophie nodded vigorously.
    “I haven’t quite fixed it yet, but I’m going to. I can’t see why you shouldn’t join them. I don’t think there’ll be any difficulty. I’ll have to get Mrs. St. Aubyn to agree, but she doesn’t care much what goes on, and I don’t expect opposition there. Then there is old Josiah Dorian. I suppose I’ll have to get him to agree, too. However, we’ll see. It would certainly solve our problem for a time.”
    I felt excited by the prospect.
    “It would mean your going to St. Aubyn’s every morning. It will be nice to be with people of your own age.”
    While we were talking Lily put her head round the door.
    “That Miss Hetherington’s here,” she said.
    “Bring her in,” cried Aunt Sophie. She turned to me.
    “We’re going to meet our vicar’s daughter his right hand and good counsellor in whose capable hands lies the fate of Harper’s Green.”
    When she came into the room 1 saw that she was all Aunt Sophie had said she was. I recognized her power at once. Tall, large, hair drawn severely back from a face under a small hat which was perched on the
    top of her head and decorated with forget-me-nots, she wore a blouse, the neck of which was held almost up to her chin with supports and which gave her a look of severity; her eyes, behind her spectacles, were brown and alert; her teeth were slightly prominent; and about her was that unmistakable air of authority.
    Her eyes immediately fell on me. I went forward.
    “So this is the niece,” she said.
    “She is indeed,” said Aunt Sophie, with a smile.
    “Welcome, child,” said Miss Hetherington.
    “You’ll be one of us. You will be happy here.” It was a command rather than a prophecy.
    “Yes, I know,” I said.
    She looked satisfied and regarded me steadily for a few seconds. I think she was trying to assess what useful tasks could be assigned to me.
    Aunt Sophie told her that she was hoping I might join the girls for lessons at St. Aubyn’s.
    “Of course,” said Miss Hetherington.
    “It’s only sensible. Miss Lloyd can teach three as easily as two.”
    “I shall have to get the agreement of Mrs. St. Aubyn and the Dorians.”
    “Of course they must agree.”
    I wondered what steps she would take if they did not, but I hardly thought they would dare to disobey her.
    “Now, Sophie, there are matters to be dealt with …”
    I slipped out of the room and left them together.
    A few days later Aunt Sophie told me that the matter of the governess had been settled. I was to join Tamarisk and Rachel in the schoolroom at St. Aubyn’s.
    Ever thoughtful, and realizing that it would be good for me to know something of my companions before joining them for lessons. Aunt Sophie invited both girls to tea at The Rowans.
     
    I was very excited at the prospect of meeting them and went down to the sitting-room filled with curiosity and some apprehension.
    Rachel Grey arrived first. She was a slight, dark-haired girl with big brown eyes. We regarded each other with some hauteur and shook hands gravely while Aunt Sophie looked on smiling.
    “You and Rachel will get on well,” she said.
    “My niece is new to Harper’s Green, Rachel. You’ll show her the ropes, dear, won’t you?”
    Rachel smiled wanly and replied: “As far as I am able, I will.”
    “Well, now you know each other, sit down and let’s have a chat.”
    “You live in the Bell House,” I began.
    “I think it looks charming.”
    “The house is nice,” said Rachel, and then stopped.
    “A real period piece,” said Aunt