She had only just arrived, Miss Pidsley explained, and was tired.

The other pupils had not yet come; there were only four of them, and they travelled by later trains from higher up the line.
After tea, Kitty, who was to have a room to herself that term as there was no room-mate for her, was shown her little bare bedroom, and there Aunt Pike said her farewells, and left her alone amidst her boxes; and there she remained crying and crying her heart out, her boxes untouched, everything forgotten but her own overpowering misery.

"She could not bear it," she moaned, "she could not bear it!" She thought of her father, and Tony, and Betty, and felt sure her heart must break.
"Poor child! We all have to bear it, dear, once in our lives, and some of us many times," said a soft voice very quietly, while a soft hand was laid on her bowed head.
Kitty was so startled that she forgot her disfigured face and looked up; and when she had once looked, and her eyes met the kind eyes gazing into hers, she did not mind, for they were misty too with sympathy.
"You remind me so of the day that I first went away to school, Katherine.

You are Katherine, aren't you ?" "Yes," murmured the owner of the name; "but they always call me Kitty at home, all but Aunt Pike." "May I call you Kitty ?" "Please do," said Kitty eagerly.
"Well, dear, I want you to unpack your things now, and try to make your room less bare and unhomelike.

It will look so different when you have your own pretty things about it, and will seem more your own." "I don't want it to," said Kitty miserably.