“Alan, everything seems to be all right,” Aunt Effie announced with satisfaction. “Would you like to read the letter?”

“Not particularly,” said Father from behind Antiquity.

“There’s a list of things to be bought,” said Aunt Effie.

“I don’t doubt it,” said Father.

“I think we’d better go up to Town by the first of the week.”

Sabrina’s sensitive nerve centers registered swift alarm.

“Why?” she said, and looked from one to the other. “Why go up to Town?”

“To buy clothes and things,” Aunt Effie told her brightly—much too brightly. “You’ll like that, won’t you, dear?”

“I don’t need any more clothes.” Sabrina’s heart had begun to beat thickly all by itself.

“But you will to go to Switzerland,” said Aunt Effie, and Sabrina stared at her incredulously. “Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Aunt Effie went on uneasily, knowing very well that she had not. “We thought it would be nice for you to have a few months at that lovely school near Geneva. It takes girls from twelve to twenty-two, so that’s all right. It’s time you brushed up your French, I’m sure, and besides they teach skiing, and then you’re right at hand for all that wonderful music, and the mountain air must be very healthful after this heat—”

“What are you talking about?” gasped Sabrina. But somehow she knew already. She had been through this sort of thing before. “I’m not going to any school. I’m too old for school.”

“Oh, no, not for this one! And besides—”

“I won’t leave this house!” said Sabrina in a small, pinched voice, sitting very still. “I’m happy here—happier than I’ve ever been. I won’t go.”

“Darling, you mustn’t talk like that, you know you’ll do what Father and I think best for you. And besides, you don’t know anything about it yet, how can you say whether you’ll like it or not?”

“Father, will you please listen to me? You promised last time I needn’t ever go to a school again. You promised!”

“Perhaps I was wrong to call this exactly a school,” said Aunt Effie hastily. “It will be more like a nice holiday abroad with friends. I’m sure you’ll make friends at once—”

“Father!” In desperation, Sabrina rose from her chair and snatched Antiquity out of his hands, so that he looked up at her in astonishment, over his spectacles. “Father, please don’t send me away from here! Please say I haven’t got to go!”

“Now, I don’t want any hysteria,” said Father firmly. “Your aunt has gone into the matter very thoroughly by now, I should imagine, and I think we had better not discuss it.”

“But you can’t just send me all the way to Switzerland without discussing it—”