CONTENTSCHAPTER. I. The School II. The Girls III. The Telegram IV. Sir John's Great Scheme V. Florence VI. Kitty and Her Father VII. Cherry-Colored Ribbons VIII. The Letter IX. The Little Mummy X. Aunt Susan XI. "I Always Admired Frankness" XII. The Fairy Box XIII. An Invitation XIV. At the Park XV. The Pupil Teacher XVI. Temptation XVII. The Fall XVIII. The Guests Arrive XIX. Tit for Tat XX. The Hills for Ever XXI. The Sting of the Serpent XXII. The Voice of GodA BUNCH OF CHERRIES.CHAPTER I.THE SCHOOL.The house was long and low and rambling. In parts at least it musthave been quite a hundred years old, and even the modern portion wasnot built according to the ideas of the present day, for in 1870 peoplewere not so aesthetic as they are now, and the lines of beauty andgrace were not considered all essential to happiness.So even the new part of the house had square rooms destitute ofornament, and the papers were small in pattern and without any artisticdesigns, and the windows were square and straight, and the ceilingswere somewhat low.The house opened on to a wide lawn, and at the left of the lawn was apaddock and at the right a shrubbery, and the shrubbery led away underits overhanging trees into the most perfect walled-in garden that wasever seen. The garden was two or three hundred years old. The oldestinhabitants of the place had never known the time when Cherry Courtgarden was not the talk of the country. Visitors came from all partsround to see it. It was celebrated on account of its very high wallsbuilt of red brick, its size, for it covered at least three acres ofground, and its magnificent cherries. The cherry trees in the Courtgarden bore the most splendid fruit which could be obtained in any partof the county. They were in great demand, not only for the girls wholived in the old house and played in the garden, but for the neighborsall over the country. A big price was always paid for these cherries,for they made such splendid jam, as well as being so full of juice andso ripe and good to eat that their like could not be found anywhereelse.The cherries were of all sorts and kinds, from the celebrated WhiteHeart to the black cherry. There were cherries for cooking andcherries for eating, and in the season the trees, which were laden withripe fruit, were a sight to behold.