"Be with us, Beauty, through the toil of life,
Through youth and through the everlasting years,
That we may live unwearied by the strife
Knowing the wisdom of laughter and tears.
"Be with us, Duty, while we seek the goal,
Honor and fame, courage and high desire,
Sister of Beauty, as the mortal soul
Kindles the body with her sacred fire."
There was a moment of silence as Mrs. Burton ended. Then with a wave of her hand and a few words of farewell, she went quickly away.
Immediately after Sally returned.
"I am sorry not to have been able to say good-by to Tante, but Aunt Patricia kept me standing in the hall while she listened hungrily to her every word. She then shut me out of her room. I never knew any one who was behaving more foolishly, and I should tell her so, if I dared."
"Juliet Temple, now that we have an opportunity, would you care to discuss becoming a member of our Camp Fire? We have never understood whether you really wished it."
At Sally's words the other girls resumed their positions on their ceremonial cushions, which left the one girl an outsider. She remained standing, facing them.
"Won't you please be seated," Bettina invited, acting as spokesman for her Camp Fire group which was her usual task.
"You know of course that our guardian desires you to become a member of our Camp Fire and what her wish and influence mean, but the fact remains that you have never shown any interest in the organization or suggested in any way that you would care to join us. After spending several months with us at Half Moon Lake you know something of our requirements and our ideals. Will you please be perfectly candid?"
At Bettina's request, Juliet Temple had not sat down.
Instead she stood looking down at the six girls as if slightly amused by Bettina's speech.