Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the cloister.djvu/87

 I went from school to Grace's house, and found her dressing for a dinner-party, but I made her send her maid away while I told her all about the plan. At first she was horrified and made objections and preached, but in the end she promised to help us, like a dear, as I knew she would. She gave me the ulster and things, and I walked off with the bundle. It made me look like a laundress carrying home the week's wash. I got it up to my room without anybody's seeing it, and all the evening I was so excited I couldn't talk, and when I got to bed I couldn't sleep.

I was at the convent bright and early in the morning, but I had thought better of the bundle, so I carried the things in Jack's dress-suitcase. Sister Vincent looked at it as I went in, but I suppose she thought it held music, especially as I walked into the first music-room and left it there. But you may believe I kept the key in my pocket until one o'clock. Then I had a chance to slip it into Sister Chrysostom's hand when I met her in the hall. Her fingers closed on it in the cutest way.

When three o'clock came I was so excited I could hardly breathe, for of course if we were found out I'd be expelled, and I don't know what would have happened to Sister Chrysostom. I rushed into the little reception-room