She had reached Harriet’s side by this time.
“Well, come for a walk with me in the paddock,” said Harriet. “I don’t want to be cross to you, Jane, but really that new girl, Robina—she is past bearing.”
“Oh, I like her so much,” said Jane.
“You do?” answered Harriet. “You mean to tell me, you horrid thing, that you would give me up for her?”
“Oh! no, no, Harry, of course not. I like you best, of course. You are my real, oldest friend. But I suppose a girl may have two friends, and I do like her. The thing that makes me so sad is this: she won’t be my friend; she snubs me like anything.”
“There’s one comfort,” said Harriet; “she’ll soon snub herself out of the school if she isn’t careful. Think of her correcting Sparkie this morning! I never heard of such cheek in the whole course of my life.”
Jane began to laugh. “It was very clever of her,” she said.
“It was very impertinent of her,” said Harriet.
“But she was right,” said Jane, “and Sparkie was wrong.”
“I have no doubt she was wrong herself,” said Harriet, “although,” she added, “she did prove her point in that horrid encyclopaedia.”