"Father says those guns don't belong to the United States, they belong to South Carolina."
Sylvia did not reply. She recalled one of her lessons, however, where she had learned that the United States meant each and every State in the Union and she remembered what Captain Carleton had said.
"Mother says I may go with you on Saturday, Flora," interrupted Grace;
"I wish it was Friday this minute."
"So do I," agreed Flora laughingly; "and we must teach Sylvia to ride on one of the ponies this time."
For on the previous visit Sylvia had said that she wished she could ride as Flora did.
"Oh! Truly? Flora, do you really mean it?" Sylvia asked.
"Of course I do. We will have a ride Saturday afternoon and again
Sunday," replied Flora.
With the pleasure of the plantation visit in store Sylvia for the moment forgot all about her dread of facing the girls at school. Miss Patten detained her at the door of the schoolroom with a warmer greeting than usual, but said: "My dear, I want to talk with you at recess;" but her smile was so friendly and her words so kind that Sylvia was not troubled. As she passed Elinor's seat she did not look up, but the whisper, "Yankee," made her flush, and brought back all her dislike of the tall, handsome Elinor.
At recess, after the other girls had left the schoolroom, Miss Patten came to Sylvia's desk and sat down beside her.
"Sylvia, dear," she said gently, "I want you to tell me why you started off alone yesterday. Had anything happened here at school to make you so unhappy that you did not want to stay?"