She put out a trembling hand and clutched the piano blindly; then, with a pitiful, broken cry, she fell, half-fainting, half-sobbing, on to the floor.

At that moment Ulyth, with her music-case, entered the room.
"What's the matter?
Rona! Rona, dear! Are you ill?
Who are these--people ?" She might well ask, for the behaviour of the two strangers was most unprecedented.

They were leaning on each other's shoulders and roaring with laughter.

One of them suddenly threw up her hat, and turned down her collar, revealing the familiar features of Stephanie Radford.
"Done you brown!" she exploded.

"Paid you back in your own coin for your precious Eau de Venus sell! I'm even with you now, Rona Mitchell! Come along, Beth." And the pair disappeared, guffawing.
Rona picked herself up shakily, and subsided on to a chair, with her face in her hands.
"It's not true then ?" she quavered.
"What isn't true ?" "They told me Dad had married Mrs.Barker, and that he was--drinking!" "Stephanie told you that ?" "Yes.