“Where are you going?” cried Nora. “It is such a lovely day,” she continued, “can we not all go for a ramble on the seashore?”
“I am not going with you,” replied Nancy. Her tone was almost rude. She left the room, slamming the door after her.
Augusta raised her brows. Getting up daintily, she went out by the open window. The two little Richmond girls thus found themselves alone.
“Oh Kit,” cried Nora, “what can be happening? I am quite unhappy; I don’t like this at all.”
“Come out, Nora,” answered Kitty; “we can talk better in the open air.”
They went out, linking their arms round one another, and paced slowly up and down. Augusta was lying lazily in a hammock near by. She watched them.
“How they love each other!” she said to herself. “I never saw such affectionate sisters. But they are a dull little pair all the same. They are the sort of girls who will never do anything very wrong, and perhaps, on the other hand, never do anything very good. I know the sort. They will be medium all their days—medium pretty, too. Even Nan is better fun than Kitty and Nora. Now they are discussing her. I see it by the way Kitty nods her head, and Nora looks at her and then looks away again; and they are twining their arms tighter round each other. They are very sorry for Nan, but they don’t understand her. Even I understand that poor, miserable mite better than they do. I have a hold over my little lady, and I must tighten the knot—and very quickly, too, for Miss Nancy must help me to-morrow night. But now to find out what they are really saying, for Nancy will have to be protected by me in one sense in order that I may use her in another.”
So Augusta slipped out of her hammock, and approached the little girls.
“What a wonderful confab!” she said. “Shall I guess what it is all about?”
“Oh no, Gussie; I wish you would go away,” exclaimed Nora. “Kitty and I are having quite a private talk all by ourselves.”