Betty had received f.a.n.n.y Crawford's message, and Betty's eyes had sparkled with suppressed fun when her sisters had delivered it to her.

She had made no comment of any sort, but had asked the girls, before they got into bed, to help her to fasten on her very prettiest frock.

She had not worn this frock before, and the simple, soft, white muslin suited her young face and figure as nothing else could have done. The black ribbon which tied back her thick hair, and was worn in memory of dear Aunt Frances, was also becoming to her; and the twin girls' eyes sparkled with rapture as they looked at their darling.

"Good-night, Bet!" said Sylvia.

"Have a splendid time, Bet!" whispered Hester.

Then Sylvia said, "I am glad you are going!"

"But of course I am going," said Betty. "Good-night, chickabiddies; good-night. I won't wake you when I come back. Sleep well!" Betty left the room.

In the corridor outside she met Olive Repton, who said, "Oh, there you are, Betty! Now let's come. We'll be two of the first; but that's all the better, seeing that you are a new member."

"It sounds so mysterious--a sort of freemasonry," remarked Betty, laughing as she spoke. "I never did think that exciting things of this sort happened at school."

"They don't at most schools," replied Olive. "But, then, there is only one Haddo Court in the world."

"Shall I have to take an awful vow; shall I have to write my name in blood in a queer sort of book, or anything of that sort?" asked Betty.

"No, no! You are talking nonsense now."

By this time they had reached Margaret's room, and Margaret was waiting for them. Betty gave a cry of rapture when she saw the flowers, and, going from one gla.s.s bowl to the other, she buried her face in the delicious perfume.

By-and-by the rest of the Specialities appeared--the Bertrams (who were greatly excited at the thought of Betty joining), Susie Rushworth, and, last to enter, f.a.n.n.y Crawford.

f.a.n.n.y had taken great pains with her dress, and she looked her best on this occasion. She gave one quick glance at Betty. Then she went up to her and said, "Welcome, Betty!" and held out her hand.

Betty was not prepared for this most friendly greeting. She scarcely touched f.a.n.n.y's hand, however, and by so doing put herself slightly in the wrong in the presence of the girls, who were watching her; while f.a.n.n.y, far cleverer in these matters, put herself in the right.

"Now, then, we must all have supper," said Margaret. "After that we'll explain the rules to Betty, and she can decide whether she will join us or not. Then we can be as jolly as we please. It is our custom, you know, girls, to be extra jolly when a new member joins the Specialities."

"I'm game for all the fun in the world," said Betty. Her curious, eager, beautiful eyes were fixed on Margaret's face; and Margaret again felt that strange sense of being wonderfully drawn to her, and yet at the same time of being annoyed. What did f.a.n.n.y's conduct mean? But one girl, however much she may wish to do so, cannot quite spoil the fun of six others. Margaret, therefore, was prepared to be as amiable and merry and gay as possible.

Was there ever a more delicious supper? Did ever cake taste quite so nice? Were chocolate creams and Turkish delight ever quite so good? And was not Margaret's lemonade even more admirable than her delicate cups of cocoa? And were not the dried fruits which were presently handed round quite wonderful in flavor? And, above all things, were not the sandwiches which Margaret had provided as a sort of surprise (for as a rule they had no sandwiches at these gatherings) the greatest success of all?

The merry supper came to an end, and the girls now cl.u.s.tered in a wide circle round the fire; and Margaret, as president, took the book of rules and began to read aloud.

"There are," she said, opening the book, which was bound beautifully in white vellum, "certain rules which each member receives a copy of, and which she takes to heart and obeys. If she deliberately breaks any single one of these rules, and such a lapse of principle is discovered, she is expected to withdraw from the Specialities. This club was first set on foot by a girl who has long left the school, and who was very much loved when she was here. Up to the present it has been a success, although its numbers have varied according to the tone of the girls who belong to the upper school. No girl belonging to the lower school has ever yet been asked to join. We have had at one time in the Speciality Club as many as one dozen members. At present we are six; although we hope that if you, Betty, decide to join us, we shall have seven members.

That will be very nice," continued Margaret, smiling and looking across the room at Betty, whose eyes were fixed on her face, "for seven is the mystic, the perfect number. Now, I will begin to read the rules aloud to you. If you decide to think matters over, we will ask you to come to our next gathering this day week, when you will receive the badge of membership, and a copy of the rules would be made by me and sent to you to your room.

"Now I will begin by telling you that the great object of our club is to encourage the higher thought. Its object is to discourage and, if possible, put a stop to low, small, mean, foolish, uncharitable thoughts. Its object is to set kindness before each member as the best thing in life. You can judge for yourself, Betty, that we aim high.

Yes, what were you going to say?"

"I was thinking," said Betty, whose eyes were now very wide open indeed, while her cheeks grew paler than ever with some concealed emotion, "that the girl who first thought of this club must have sat on a Scotch moor one day, with the purple heather all round her, and that to her it was vouchsafed to hear the fairies speak when they rang the little purple bells of the heather."

"That may have been the case, dear," said Margaret in her kindest tone.

"Now, I will read you the rules. They are quite short and to the point:

"'RULE I.--Each girl who is a member of the Specialities gives perfect confidence to her fellow-members, keeps no secret to herself which those members ought to know, is ready to consider each member as though she were her own sister, to help her in time of trouble, and to rejoice with her in periods of joy.'

"That is Rule I., and I need not say, Betty, that it is a very important rule."

Betty's eyes were now lowered, so that only her very black lashes were seen as they rested against her pale cheeks.

"Rule II. is this:

"'RULE II.--That the Specialities read each day, for one quarter of an hour, a book of great thoughts.'

"The books are generally selected at the beginning of term, and each member is expected to read the same amount and from the same book. This term, for instance, we occupy one quarter of an hour daily in reading Jeremy Taylor's 'Holy Living.' It is not very long, but there's a vast amount of thought in it. If we feel puzzled about anything in this wonderful book we discuss it with each other at the next meeting of the Specialities, and if, after such a discussion, the whole matter does not seem quite clear, we ask Mr. Fairfax to help us. He is most kind, although of course he is not in the secret of our club.

"Rule III. is quite different. It is this:

"'RULE III.--Each day we give ourselves up, every one of us, to real, genuine fun--to having what may be called a jolly time.'

"We never miss this part of the Speciality life. We get our fun either by chatting gaily to each other, or by enjoying the society of a favorite schoolfellow.

"Rule IV. does not come into every day life; nevertheless it is important:

"'RULE IV.--We meet once a week in one of our bedrooms; but four times during the term we all subscribe together, and get up as big a party as ever we can of girls who are not Specialities. These girls have supper with us, and afterwards we have round games or music or anything that gives us pleasure.'

"Rule V. is this:

"'RULE V.--That whoever else we are cross with, we are always very careful to show respect to our teachers, and, if possible, to love them. We also try to shut our eyes to their faults, even if we see them.'

"Rule VI. is perhaps the most difficult of all to follow completely. It is the old, old rule, Betty Vivian, of forgetting ourselves and living for others. It is a rule that makes the secret of happiness. It is impossible to keep it in its fullness in this world; but our aim is to have a good try for it, and I think, on the whole, we succeed.

"Now, these are the six rules. When you read them over, you will see that they are comprehensive, that they mean a vast lot. They are, every one of them, rules which tend to discipline--the sort of discipline that will help us when we leave the school and enter into the big school of the world. Betty, do you feel inclined to join the club or not?"

"I don't know," replied Betty. "It is impossible to answer your question on the spur of the moment. But I should greatly like to see a copy of the rules."

"I will have them copied and sent to your bedroom, Betty. Then if you decide to join, you will be admitted formally this day week, and will receive the badge of the Specialities--a little true-lovers' knot made of silver--which you will wear when the Specialities give their entertainments, and which will remind you that we are bound together in one sisterhood of love for our fellow-creatures."

Betty got up somewhat nervously. "I must think a great deal; and if I may come to whichever room the Specialities are to meet in this day week, I will let you know what I have decided."

"Very well, dear," said Margaret, shutting the book and completely altering her tone. "That is all, I think to-night. Now, you must sit down and enjoy yourself. Which girl would you like to sit close to? We are going to have some round games, and they are quite amusing."

"I should like to sit close to you, Margaret, if I may."

"You certainly may, Betty; and there is a seat near mine, just by that large bowl of white chrysanthemums."

Betty took the seat; and now all the girls began to chat, each of them talking lovingly and kindly to the other. There was a tone about their conversation which was as different from the way they spoke in their ordinary life as though they were girls in a nunnery who had made solemn vows to forsake the world. Even f.a.n.n.y's face looked wonderfully kind and softened. She did not even glance at Betty; but Betty looked at her once or twice, and was astonished at the expression that f.a.n.n.y wore.

"Just one minute, girls, before we begin our fun," said Margaret.

"Martha West is most anxious to join the Specialities. Betty, of course, has no vote, as she is not yet a member. But the rest of us know Martha well, and I think we would all like her to join. Those who are opposed to her, will they keep down their hands? Those who wish for her as a member, will they hold them up?"

All hands were held up on this occasion, and f.a.n.n.y held hers the straightest and highest of all.

"Three cheers for Martha West!" said Susie Rushworth.