Part 4 (2/2)

”I'd rather not kiss you, if you don't mind,” said Betty.

”You must please yourself. Now go to bed, all of you.”

The girls left the little sitting-room. It was their fas.h.i.+on to hold each other's hands, and in a chain of three they now entered the kitchen.

”Jean,” said Betty, ”_he_ says we are to go to bed. I want to ask you and Donald a question, and I want to ask it quickly.”

”And what is the question, my puir bit la.s.sie?” asked Jean Macfarlane.

”It is this,” said Betty--”you and Donald can answer it quickly--if we want to come back here you will take us in, won't you?”

”Take you in, my bonny dears! Need you ask? There's a shelter always for the bit la.s.sies under this roof,” said Donald Macfarlane.

”Thanks, Donald,” said Betty. ”And thank you, Jean,” she added. ”Come, girls, let's go to bed.”

The girls went up to the small room in the roof which they occupied.

They slept in three tiny beds side by side. The beds were under the sloping roof, and the air of the room was cold. But Betty, Sylvia, and Hetty were accustomed to cold, and did not mind it. The three little beds touched each other, and the three girls quickly undressed and got between the coa.r.s.e sheets. Betty, as the privileged one, was in the middle. And now a cold little hand was stretched out from the left bed towards her, and a cold little hand from the right bed did ditto.

”Betty,” said Sylvia in a choking voice, ”you will keep us up? You are the brave one.”

”Except when I cry,” said Betty.

”Oh, but, Betty,” said Hetty, ”you will promise not to! It's awful when you do! You will promise, won't you?”

”I will try my best,” said Betty.

”How long do you think, Betty, that you and Hetty and I will be able to endure that awful school?” said Sylvia.

”It all depends,” said Betty. ”But we've got the money to get away with when we like. It was left for our use. Now, look, here, girls. I am going to tell you a tremendous secret.”

”Oh, yes! oh, yes!” exclaimed the other two. ”Betty, you're a perfect darling; you are the most heroic creature in the world!”

”Listen; and don't talk, girls. I told a lie to-night about that packet; but no one else will know about it. There was one day--now don't interrupt me, either of you, or I'll begin howling, and then I can't stop--there was one day when Auntie Frances was very ill. She sent for me, and I went to her; and she said, 'I am able to leave you so very little, my children; but there is a nest-egg in a little packet in the right-hand drawer of my bureau. You must always keep it--always until you really want it.' I felt so bursting all round my heart, and so choky in my throat, that I thought I'd scream there and then; but I kept all my feelings in, and went away, and pretended to dearest auntie that I didn't feel it a bit. Then, you know, she, she--died.”

”She was very cold,” said Sylvia. ”I saw her--I seem to see her still.

Her face made me s.h.i.+ver.”

”Don't!” said Betty in a fierce voice. ”Do you want me to howl all night long?”

”I won't! I won't!” said Sylvia. ”Go on, Betty darling--heroine that you are!”

”Well, I went to her bureau straight away, and I took the packet. As a matter of fact, I already knew quite well that it was there; for I had often opened auntie's bureau and looked at her treasures, so I could lay my hands on it at once. I never mean to part with the packet. It's heavy, so it's sure to be full of gold--plenty of gold for us to live on if we don't like that beastly school. When Sir John--or Uncle John, as he wants us to call him----”

”He's no uncle of mine,” said Hetty.

”I like him, for my part,” said Sylvia.

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