CHAPTER XII.

GIRLISH TROUBLES.

EASTER happened to fall almost immediately after Decima's arrival in Heidelberg; and "in consideration," as Bertie expressed it, "of the juxtaposition of the two events," ten days' entire holiday were granted to the three girls without delay. Mrs. Fitzroy judged it well that Miss Bruce should have some opportunity for studying her new pupil, before deciding on the course of action which should be pursued, with the view of getting her into better shape; and she judged it well also that Dessie's spirits should have some opportunity for evaporating, before any attempt was made to put her into regular harness.

But Mrs. Fitzroy did not yet know this niece of hers. Dessie's spirits never did evaporate. knew nothing of alternating "ups and downs." Hers were all "ups "-a kind of breezy high tableland, broken by no valleys, pleasant, doubtless, to herself, but apt to be exasperating to those about her. For, as Dessie did not pass through shady valleys herself, she had little pity for those who did.

One short letter from home reached Dessie in the

course of those ten days. It contained few particulars, but spoke vaguely of Baby Hugh as "better." So the one thing which would have lowered Dessie's spirits was lacking, and she abandoned herself to the full swing of enjoyment.

The Sidney-Fitzroys were, as a family, by no means given to gravity and silence. Yet they had rarely passed ten days so full of fun and merriment, of chatter and argument, as the ten days after Decima's arrival. Dessie was irrepressible. The impression made by the check she had received on the first evening lasted with just sufficient clearness to make her moderately careful how far she indulged in boastings and self-adulations. It did not lessen her powers of talk. Her ideas flowed forth in one perpetual stream, from morning till night.

Mrs. Fitzroy began to think she had undertaken rather more than she had bargained for. Miss Bruce was in secret despair. Emmie was lost in a species of gentle wonder, mixed with admiration, at the sight of a creature so completely the antipodes of herself. Allie caught the infection of Dessie's reckless chatter, and waxed troublesome. Bertie, boy-like, disliked and encouraged her at one and the same time. Mr. Fitzroy said little, and held himself in reserve.

Easter in a foreign country had its peculiar interests for the new-comer. There was the little English Church, with the sweet familiar service, and the dear old chants and hymns, so especially sweet and dear to dwellers in a foreign land. But these were of little worth to Dessie. She went to Church as a

"She was taken over the castle-was initiated into the intricacies of the splendid old ruin

was shown the huge wine-vat of a by-gone age."-Page 97.

tedious duty, and came away, glad to be released. Her pleasure in Easter lay far more in the noting of foreign ways, in the countless variety of sugar and chocolate eggs displayed in shop-windows, and in the children's egg-hunts which took place in neighbouring gardens on the morning of Easter Sunday.

She

Wanderings in the old town of Heidelberg, and rambles through the surrounding country, were the order of those ten days. Decima was perfectly indefatigable, and tired everybody out in turn. would have liked to start off walking alone, when nobody was able to go with her, but upon this point her aunt was immovable. "No, my dear," she said, when Dessie volubly expatiated on her own years and discretion and love of independence. "In England you perhaps do as you like, but here you will do as I like." And Dessie was beginning to understand that when a certain particular expression came to her aunt's face, argument was useless.

But in company with her uncle, her aunt, her cousins, and Miss Bruce, sometimes one and sometimes others, she rambled about the town, wandered through the castle grounds, went to the famed Wolfsbrunnen, climbed neighbouring heights, crossed the Neckar, and followed the river's course on either side. She was taken over the castle, was initiated into the intricacies of the splendid old ruin, was shown the huge wine-vat of a bygone age, was tricked into having the fox-tail whisked into her face from within an ancient clock, was led through

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