Carrie listened with deep interest, and was quite charmed with the frankness and sociability of her new acquaintance. The clock struck nine while they were in the full tide of discourse. This was the signal for retiring, as Florence informed them; and they proceeded to put up their books and papers and make ready for the night.
Florence and Sallie were soon snugly ensconced in bed, having first politely offered the choice of beds to their new room-mates. Susan took her little Bible and read a chapter, as was her custom, and then kneeled by her bedside to pray. Carrie was still brushing her hair, when she heard a whisper and a suppressed laugh from the other girls. She glanced at them and saw the cause of their merriment. She said not a word; but, having put up her hair, she took her Bible also and read a short chapter.
“Ahem! Saint number two,” she heard, in a loud whisper from the other bed.
The blood rushed to Carrie’s face. She felt indignant and a little ashamed: she extinguished the light hastily and then kneeled by her bedside a few moments in prayer. The next morning, Susie, as usual, after dressing, read her Bible and offered up her silent prayer,—a proceeding which seemed to afford Florence and her companion much amusement; and Carrie delayed her dressing purposely till her room-mates went out, when she hastily performed her morning devotions.
“I wish,” she said to Susie, “that those girls did not room with us!”
“Why?” asked her cousin. “I thought you liked them last night.”
“So I did,” was the reply; “but I don’t now.” And Carrie went on to describe their conduct while Susie was on her knees. This did not seem to trouble Susan in the least.
“Poor, foolish girls!” said she; and, having said this, she seemed to dismiss the subject from her mind. But for Carrie it was not so easy a task,—particularly as she saw Florence talking with a whole bevy of school-girls on the piazza, who were laughing merrily; and, as they immediately grew very sober and silent when she approached them, she felt sure that Florence had been ridiculing her cousin and herself.
The school-bell soon rang, and the new pupils followed the other girls across a covered gallery to the school-room. It was a pleasant apartment, and the cousins had very excellent seats given them near a window. Florence was quite a near neighbour here also.
“The Fates seem to throw us in each other’s way,” she whispered, with a pleasant smile.