CHAPTER XI.
MATILDA'S NEWS--OUR GOVERNESS--MAJOR BULLER TURNED TUTOR--ELEANOR ARKWRIGHT.
The grief I felt at leaving The Vine was greatly forgotten in the warm welcome which awaited me on my return to Riflebury.
In a household where gossip is a principal amusement, the return of any member from a visit is a matter for general congratulation till the new budget is exhausted.

Indeed, I plead guilty to a liking to be the first to skim the news when Eleanor or one of the boys comes back from a visit, at the present time.
Matilda withdrew me from Aunt Theresa as soon as she could.
"I am so glad to get you back, Margery dear," said she.

"And now you must tell me all your news, and I'll tell you all mine.

And to begin with--what do you think ?--we've got a governess, and you and I are to have the little room at the head of the stairs all to ourselves." Matilda's news was lengthy enough and interesting enough to make us late for tea, and mine kept us awake for a couple of hours after we were fairly in our two little iron bedsteads in the room that was now our very own.

That is to say, I told what I had to tell after we came to bed, but my news was so tame compared with Matilda's that we soon returned to the discussion of hers.