Nora soon joined the other three in Brenda's pretty bedroom.
"Here we are, all four together again," exclaimed Brenda, as she threw herself down on the chintz-covered sofa. "It's so much pleasanter not to have any strangers about."
"Do you call your cousin a stranger?" asked Nora.
"Why, yes, any one can see that she's terribly serious, and that she won't take a bit of interest in the things we do."
"Aren't you going to ask her to join the Four Club?"
"Well, then it wouldn't be a Four Club. Besides five is a horrid number. You never can plan things together when there are five."
"But you can't leave her out."
"I don't see why not. She'll have other things to do in the afternoon—like to-day. We needn't tell her about the Club at all, need we?"
Edith and Nora, to whom Brenda seemed to appeal, said nothing. Belle was looking out of the window, and though she usually would have agreed with Brenda, they had lately had so many little disagreements, that she would not gratify her friend by assenting to her words.
Brenda, however, perceiving that her views were not shared by the other three girls, decided to avoid discussing Julia any further.