All eyes were turned upon them.
Patricia held her chin very high, and looked as if she were thinking: "I know I'm late, but what of that?" She was assuming a boldness that she did not feel, whereas Arabella was absolutely natural. She felt frightened, and looked—just as she felt.
"Wouldn't you like to know what they wished?" whispered Valerie, to which Betty whispered in reply:
"I'd like to know, but they wouldn't tell us."
It was a fixed rule at Glenmore that the pupils must be present at the social half-hour, and then be sure of being prompt at six, the dinner hour. Patricia and Arabella were the first to break that rule.
There was to be a week's vacation, and all but four of the pupils were to spend it at home.
They were Patricia and Arabella, Dorothy, and Nancy.
Mrs. Dainty and Aunt Charlotte were still traveling, and Mrs. Vane had asked Vera to bring Dorothy and Nancy home with her for the week. Already they had planned enough pleasure to last a month, and Vera was still racking her busy brain to think of other things that they might do.
The pupils were welcome to remain at Glenmore if they wished, and Patricia had decided that that was just what she would do.